The Others 2 – The Age of Terror
by Sandylee007
Summary: SEQUEL TO THE OTHERS. Five months have passed and the war has taken over the country. A barely recovered Dr. Spencer Reid returns home to find the world he used to know in shambles and dangerous people chasing his kind. Will he make it through once more when the stakes are higher than ever before? SLIGHT AU, SUPERPOWER FIC. REID WHUMP LIKELY IN THE HORIZON.
1. A World Gone Crazy

A/N: Yup, you're seeing correctly. The sequel is here! (grins) After all I couldn't just leave the story where I did, now could I?

DISCLAIMER: Trust me, no profit is made out of these fics and I own absolutely nothing concerning the series (sobs a bit). But this is a very nice guilty pleasure. (smirks)

WARNINGS: A SEQUEL. (To 'The Others'.) Violence. Gore. Language. And, without a doubt, there shall be whump. Adult themes. Uh… Anyone out there…?

Awkay. Starting new stories is always nerve-wrecking so best to get on with it. (takes a deep breath) I really, truly hope that you'll enjoy the ride!

* * *

**_The Others 2 – The Age of Terror_**

* * *

It was raining when a small private jet landed to a isolated airport only a selected few knew of. The noises of ever awake London's beat didn't disturb the environment's peace while a lone figure waited until the aircraft had stopped fully, then approached with slow, confident steps. A woman emerged from the jet just as the observer reached it, as though having sensed the presence.

There was a tense look on Maeve Donovan's pale face. A hint of relief appeared, though, when she saw the arrival. "Thank gosh…! Jason told me that he'd contacted you but I wasn't sure…"

"Of course I'll help." A pair of sharp eyes that were dark with concern and fear shifted towards the aircraft. "How is he?"

Maeve sighed. "Stable, I think. But the journey took its toll on him. He hasn't woken up yet."

The other nodded slowly, taking a few precious moments to process the situation. "Right…", a barely recognizeable voice sighed. "Let's get moving. This is a secure location but we shouldn't waste time."

Maeve nodded eagerly. Just before they made it to the jet the woman looked towards the other. "Thank you, for doing this. You're taking a huge risk."

"He's one of my best friends. I'd even say he's family. I'll do anything I can to help him. Besides…" Emily Prentiss moved the sleeve of her long, black coat. Just enough to reveal a series of numbers tattooed to her skin, knowing that Maeve understood. During his phone call Jason revealed that a similar line had been etched on Spencer during his captivity. "He's one of the four people that I've trusted enough to reveal my secret willingly. I can't lose him."

Maeve stared with quite open stun for a moment. _You're one of us?_, was clearly written on the woman's face. Then, quite rapidly, the shock transformed into steel hard determination. "I can't lose him, either. So let's get him to a safe place."

* * *

A World Gone Crazy

* * *

_Five Months Later_

* * *

The blue eyes of reporter Fiona Wargas were grim and she took a deep breath. She even ran a trembling hand through her shortcut, dark brown hair, which was a nervous habit she'd imagined was well behind her. And then came the signal that she was on air.

"It's been five months from when a nation wide war was declared between the Others and the human kind. Since then constant battles have been raging on and tremendous losses have been suffered on both sides. The state of war has been the target of a great deal of international attention. A wide range of public debates have been issued. Some of them question whether a similar course of action should be taken in other countries as well. Several nations have already decided to do so. A lot of people have been collecting names onto addresses and arranging protests to ensure that the most basic rights of those Others that have been captured are respected. The most recent one of them was published just this morning, at around the same time as two more countries announced that they'd follow in the footsteps of the United States."

Fiona took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. Her eyes strayed to the papers before her until she found her focus once. "Today the president signed several new regulations against the Others crossing the border. Specific scanners will be used to ensure that no dangerous individuals will be able to leave the country or enter it."

By some miracle Fiona made it through the rest of the broadcast. She was just about to leave the studio when the sight she met made her freeze dead on her tracks. Her heart stopped for a couple of seconds.

There, only steps away, five agents walked in. One of her colleagues pointed towards her. As soon as her eyes met one of the agent's she knew that her time of hiding was over.

* * *

Jennifer Jareau could still remember a time when she enjoyed her job, no matter how distant those days seemed. Now… Now her main duty was interrogating the captured Others, most of them women and teenagers who were scared for their lives. While some of them had actually committed to severe crimes most were genuinely kind and gentle souls that'd simply gone a little astray in moments of sheer despair. And she was comdamning them to a fate she was much happier not trying to imagine.

"Penny for your thoughts", David Rossi, who was giving her a ride home, suggested.

JJ stared out the window, deep in thought. It took long before she found her voice. "I just… Today I interrogated this young man, and…" She gritted her teeth. It didn't help erase the stinging sensation in her eyes. "Dave, you wouldn't believe how much like Spence he looked! He… He kept begging for his mother to be left alone and I couldn't even…" At that moment she truly broke down for the first time since the beginning of the entire madness.

They stopped to a red light. David sighed, wrapping one arm around her. "I know", he murmured. "That's why I resigned a few hours ago. I don't want to be a part of this anymore. I just hope that this whole mess ends soon."

JJ couldn't say that she was surprised. A couple of days earlier she filled out a request to be placed to other tasks. Hopefully her wish would be granted before her current job description would drive her mad.

She sniffed and took a deep, shuddering breath, managing to compose herself a little just before the light turned back green. "Spence… How do you think he's doing?"

David smiled a little although she could see lines of worry around his mouth and eyes. "I'm sure that he's in someplace safe, recovering. Missing us. Driving Maeve insane with his homesickness unless she's found a way to distract him."

A chuckle erupted from JJ. It left a nice, warm feeling inside. It wasn't until then she realized just how long it was from the last time she laughed.

While turning to the street where JJ lived they saw a group of special trained soldiers barging into a house. They exchanged a look, both knowing what it meant. Another one had been spotted. JJ knew those people. They were the first ones to welcome her family to this neighborhood, a nice couple of her and Will's age with two small children.

David shook his head. The attacked house's shadow was dark and long behind them. "The world has gone insane."

JJ couldn't have agreed more.

JJ finally breathed a sigh of relief when she made it home and dropped her ridiculously heavy bag to the floor. The relief lasted until she realized how quiet it was. She swallowed and frowned. "Will? Henry? Are you guys home?"

A mother's intuition led her towards the living room. Sure enough, some movements could be heard. She peered in. And felt the whole world twist and turn around her.

There was Henry, with a glass he'd dropped to the floor. But he wasn't picking up the pieces. Instead, with an expression of intense concentration, he was in fact putting the shattered pieces together. Soon enough the glass looked like it'd never been damaged.

JJ stared, her eyes stinging hellishly from both tears that wanted to erupt and keeping them open for too long without blinking. Eventually the words slipped through trembling lips. "Oh my god…!"

But… She wasn't… So how could Henry be…?!

That's when she became aware of the second presence. She turned her head to meet the sad and perhaps even scared eyes of Will LaMontagne. "I… Jaye, there's something I need to tell you."

* * *

Since the beginning of the entire sanity Aaron had lost track on how many times he'd thought about giving up his job. He could tell that the rest of his former team was thinking the same although they'd been barely allowed to see each other for months. The only member he'd been allowed to maintain was Penelope. He'd heard that Alex Blake quit months ago. It was highly likely that Derek Morgan wouldn't be far behind. JJ and David… He didn't have the slightest clue where they were at the moment. As for Spencer… He didn't even know if the youngest member of his team was alive. The uncertainty was worse than anything else.

Fortunately, as it was he had a new case to distract him. In a way, at least. Apparently the Others were planning on an attack against the minister who helped create restrictions against them, Oliver Trask. His new team had been assigned as the ones responsible for the man's safety while the politician gave a speech in the middle of the city. Aaron hated the task from the bottom of his heart, mostly because he had hard time fighting the urge to put a bullet into the man's skull himself.

Those far from pleasant thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his cell phone ringing. It was Penelope. Aaron growled but accepted the call anyway. He knew that she wouldn't call him if it wasn't something important. "Yes?"

"_We… We got it all wrong!_" Penelope blurted out immediately. She sounded borderline hysterical. Was she running? "_The minister… He was never the real target. It was all a ruse._"

Aaron frowned. Dread rose inside him, sharp and all consuming. "If the attack isn't directed at him… Then where?"

"_That's why I was in such a hurry to contact you. I've already alerted all possible authorities._" Sheer terror colored Penelope's voice. "_The real target is the bureau._"

* * *

The second time Derek Morgan met SSA Dr. Erica Leonor wasn't the slightest bit more pleasant than the first one. There, sitting in a interrogation room that was even smaller than the previous one from months ago, he knew for a fact that he was in a deep trouble. There was a look of a successful predator on Erica's face.

"So, agent Morgan…", she began, without a doubt stretching her words on purpose. She dropped a thick file to the desk between them. "I assume that we both know why you're here."

Derek squeezed his mouth as tightly closed as he could, a small tremor passing him. He counted his options, knowing that he had none. A cold, hollow feeling settled into him. He'd known the risks from the start. Still…

"You've been caught helping the Others", Erica stated the accusation out loud.

At that Derek couldn't hold his silence any longer. "I've been helping their children to safety. I've been helping them transport food to those who have been stranded into conditions in which they have no hope."

Erica sighed, appearing irritated. "Whatever your excuses are, what you committed to was a severe crime and shall be treated as such by the Board. We're in a state of war."

Derek shivered with rage and revulsion. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "So it's perfectly acceptable to let their children and weakest ones die?"

"They haven't showed us any mercy. Why should we give them such?" Erica got up, obviously having had enough of him. "I'm handing your case to the Board. They'll call you in as soon as they've reached a verdict. As of this moment you're no longer an agent." She glanced towards him once more. "Consider your loyalties, Derek. You may find them gravely misplaced."

Derek's lips opened for some poorly chosen, heated words. He never managed to suck in enough breath. Just then a shrill alarm sounded right before a deafening explosion went through the entire building. A blast of energy sent him against the wall and all of a sudden there was only darkness.

* * *

A small flat in a quiet yet beautiful area on the edge of London was like from some different world. There were no signs of the war. Instead the only sounds heard were the tv that was open on a quiet volume and a breakfast being cooked. The food's beautiful, alluring scent of promise floated in the air.

It was that scent which woke up Maeve. She stretched and a yawned, then shifted to discover that the other side of the bed was empty. _Of course._ She sighed and pushed herself to motion.

Sure enough she found Spencer cooking. There was a look of deep focus on his face, yet his eyes never once stopped straying towards the TV-screen. Knowing that he wouldn't notice her for a while Maeve took the opportunity to observe the love of her life.

The past few months had been a long, painful process of recovery and that time wasn't made any easier by the fact that Spencer had wanted to go back home every single day since first waking up, so much that it ached him. It took three weeks before the injuries and the infection that followed them settled enough to allow her and Emily a small breath of relief. It was around then Spencer was finally able to stay awake longer than three minutes at a time. And there was, of course, the pain. They weren't able to get their hands on even nearly enough medication to soothe the agony that had to be gnawing the young man's whole body. Spencer never complained but Maeve could tell that sometimes it was still a struggle. Once he finally got to his feet after the first seven weeks, shakily and weakly at first, Spencer discovered that sometimes moving around helped. Nightmares haunted the genius' sleep, with such force that they couldn't live in a apartment building anymore. Although she hated even the idea Maeve couldn't help wondering if it was the pain or intense bad dreams that woke him up this morning.

It wasn't only Spencer's body and mind recovering, though. It was their relationship as well. It wasn't easy for him to overcome the fact that for a while he imagined that she was dead, even though she had the perfect reason for staying away. Maeve, on the other hand, couldn't shake away all those endless hours during which she'd been _sure_ that she'd lose him. She knew for a fact that some nights both of them stayed awake for a while observing each other, just to make sure that the other was really there. But slowly yet surely they were overcoming those wounds. They'd been apart for much too long and they were determined to make the most out of the time they'd be given.

That was when Spencer finally sensed her presence. He flashed her a radiant smile that almost distracted her attention from how pale he seemed. "'Morning."

She grinned and made her way to him. She loved the sound he emitted when her lips brushed his cheek. "'Morning to you, too. Watch it or I'll get used to you cooking all the time." She kissed him again and he responded eagerly. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long." For a Vegas-kid he was a absolutely horrible liar. His eyes were soft when he focused on her before continuing with the breakfast. "I didn't have the heart to wake you up."

And Maeve didn't have the heart to point out that his nightmares woke her three times the night before. As it was she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him as close as humanly possible, mindful of the still sore spots, then breathed in his familiar, comforting scent. Sometimes this, being with him and actually having him close, felt like a sweet dream. Too good to be true.

Of course the universe couldn't just leave them alone.

They were just finishing the breakfast when something on the TV caught their attention. It was footage of a entirely too familiar building. Or well, of what little there was left of the building. A explosion had torn through it, smashing what was once Spencer's second home to pieces.

'_A NEW TERRORIST ATTACK FROM THE OTHERS_', the title screamed.

Maeve's whole body went cold. Several people there… She considered them friends. In a way Spencer's substitute family was hers as well. She wondered, with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, if they'd been in there. If they were hurt or worse.

Then she glanced towards Spencer. If he'd been pale before at the moment there was no color on his horrified face. If he hadn't been sitting he would've without a doubt fallen to the floor. His whole body was trembling violently.

It was his team. His family. And although there was no way he was recovered enough for the absurd plan Maeve knew exactly what he'd say long before the half-whispered words floated out.

"I can't… I can't just hide here any longer. Not when…" He shuddered, as though even the thought hurt physically. "I need to go back there."

* * *

TBC?

* * *

A/N: And it starts with a BANG. (shudders) Are Morgan and Garcia okay? What will happen Reid comes back home (because even wild horses wouldn't hold him back now)? And what about Henry and Prentiss?!

Quite a bit of questions, and we're only at a start. (grins) So, you guys, I'm asking you. Would you like to read more? I've got quite a bit of plans for this one…

In any case, thank you so much for reading thus far! Who knows, maybe we'll meet again someday soon.

Take care!

* * *

**Akira Nishikawa**: Quite a nasty place to leave it, no? (grins) But indeed, this is where a brand new story begins. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the first story so much and I really, really hope that the sequel turns out worth the wait!

Huge thank yous for the review!

* * *

**Guest **(1): I'm so, so thrilled to hear that! I truly hope that you'll enjoy the sequel as well.

Massive thank yous for the review!

* * *

**Guest** (2): Not quite yet. Those plot bunnies SCREAM to be unleashed. (snickers) Hopefully the sequel turns out worth the wait.

Colossal thank yous for the review!


	2. Damaged Bonds

A/N: DANG! At first I had hard time getting this chapter going and then it basically typed itself. (chuckles) We'll see how it turned out…

Firstly, though…! Thank you so, so much for all those fantastic reviews and love! The fact that a sequel has that many friends is absolutely baffling. (BEAMS)

Awkay… I suppose that it's showtime. Sooo, let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Damaged Bonds

* * *

It took all JJ had to keep herself together until she was at a safe distance from Henry. She barged into the bathroom and locked the door, then slid to the floor with her face buried into her hands. Her breaths came out in short, desperate wheezes.

Her son… And, apparently – because she could do that math just fine – her husband as well… Among _them_…

'_It's not uncommon that those of my race become partners with humans. Mostly they keep their secret to themselves. Usually those pairs can't reproduce due to the differences in their genes but there are exceptions_', Spencer told the team, once upon a time. '_If such an offspring is born the differences are so subtle that only a careful DNA-analysis reveals them. And a case where the offspring has… special abilities is about one in a million._'

She clasped a hand to her lips. Still the mixture of a gag and sob was uncomfortably loud. Tears pooled into her eyes.

What in the world was she supposed to do?!

The sounds of familiar steps made her stiffen and ache at the same time. They paused right behind the door. Will didn't even try the door, clearly knowing that it was locked. "_I understand that you're scared and upset. But I… Jaye, we need to talk about this._"

JJ swallowed loudly, searching the words for the longest time. She wiped her eyes roughly. "You don't know the things that I've brought upon your kind", she choked out. "Upon… Upon our son's kind."

There was a long moment of silence. "_There's no 'your kind' and 'my kind' in this house, Jennifer. We're a family. That's why we need to face this as one._" Will was pacing behind the door. "_I know that I should've told you a million times but I just… I couldn't although I tried, especially when you told me that you were pregnant. Then Henry was born, as normal as any little boy can be. And I saw how upset you were upon finding out Spencer's secret. So I kept quiet._"

The hurricane of emotions that overcame JJ was shocking. In the end the storm settled on a particular bit. "When… When did you find out that Henry…?"

"_… has special abilities, after all? Remember when you were on a case and he became so sick that I had to take him to a doctor? That's when I saw the first signs._"

JJ was shocked and scared out of her mind. In the end she clung to rage and saw red. "You… You've known all that time and told our son to lie to me?! To hide something like that from me?" she snarled like a wounded lion. "I'm his mother!"

"_I know that I screwed up, okay? I know! But you seeing him… like that… It wasn't why I'm telling you this now._" Will was trembling so badly that she could actually hear it. "_Something's happened._"

All of a sudden the text message signal JJ's phone gave was one of the loudest sounds she'd ever heard. She jumped and glanced towards the item. After a lot of hesitation she read the message and instantly wished she hadn't.

'_Get back here right now. There's been an attack against the bureau. It looks bad._'

* * *

When consciousness began to rush back in the first thing Derek felt was a wave of pain that mixed with a bout nausea. He groaned and shifted to his side, then gave in to the urges of his body and vomited loudly. Surprisingly it sounded like there was a bin of some sort waiting.

There was also a voice talking. He wondered how long it'd been there. "… it easy, now … a nasty blow you took …" He was startled by the straw someone guiden into his mouth. "Relax, it's just water. Take small, slow sips. See if it agrees with you."

After a brief hesitation Derek did as he'd been instructed. The sick feeling he'd had before seemed to drift away a little and the ache reduced to dull throbbing. Where was the injury anyway? His sides, especially the right one, and his head seemed to be the main sources of discomfort. No wonder he was dizzy and confused if it was his head that received the assault.

What happened? The last thing he remembered was the interrogation room, with him on the wrong side of the table. And the alarm sound.

Derek's eyes widened. Just like that the nausea was back. With vengeance.

_Oh my…!_

He threw up again. The mystery person beside him groaned with apparent displeasure and replaced the bin. The voice, which sounded a bit clearer to him now, spoke again. "The bureau… It's gone. Those bastards tore it down almost completely. Including us there's only thirty survivors. If the falling debris hadn't formed a shield on us there'd be twenty-eight. It's a miracle that we made it." The pause lasted less than two seconds. What came after it barely registered. "You have a very nasty head injury that kept you down for almost three days, along with a couple of broken ribs. There was worry about internal bleeding but fortunately there wasn't such. You also broke your arm."

The news shook Derek down to his very core. He began to tremble violently, a chaos of terrifying thoughts swirling around in his head. The mixture of rage, disappointment, betrayal and sheer terror that overcame him was paralyzing.

All those dead people… People he knew, friends, colleagues… And… "Garcia", he half-wheezed in a voice he couldn't recognize.

"Penelope Garcia woke up a day or so ago. At the moment she's guarded heavily. While you helped transport food and supplies to the Others she was caught actually helping them in a far more direct way. She's considered a traitor."

Finally Derek managed to look up. The patched up, battered face he met belonged to Erica Leonor. There was a grim look in her eyes.

"I told you, Derek. Re-evaluate your loyalties. You may find them misplaced."

* * *

When Emily heard that Spencer and Maeve, who absolutely refused to be left behind, were planning on heading back to States she announced that she wasn't about to let them go there without help. Technically Jason Gideon's direct orders had been to keep the couple from leaving London but she couldn't do that to them.

Using a couple of huge old favors she managed to arrange them a relatively safe flight to Virginia. As it turned out the old hideout of Lauren Reynolds was still available. The tense, fretting trio settled there, unable to do much more than wait for the inevitable phone call.

Hours blurred together while they all tried to will the time to pass by faster. In the end Emily heard sounds coming from the kitchen, signaling that Maeve was already trying to make herself at home. After giving it a moment's thought she decided to check up on Spencer.

Emily knocked but didn't remember to give the still recovering genius enough time. When she opened the door Spencer was still in the middle of putting a shirt on with his back to her. After the immediate embarrassment Emily found her attention shifting to something particular.

There, marring Spencer's entire back, were scars that screamed out a horror story. Harsh cuts that'd stolen his wings along with a lot of other injuries she was much happier not knowing more of. And there, in the middle of the violent mess that used to be healthy skin, she saw the frail beginnings of wings. They were stunningly large considering the time that'd elapsed and how much recovering Spencer's whole body had to do, but by no means ready to actually carry him. Judging by the way they shuddered they seemed to be aching. Apparently keeping them hidden wasn't as easy as it was once upon a time.

"Sorry, but… Could you, uh… not stare?"

Snapping out of her stupor Emily shook her head and looked away. "I'm sorry." She gave him a few seconds. "Your wings… They're healing."

Spencer nodded. The shirt was finally on him, hiding the damage. "Maeve's blood… It seemed to enhance their re-growth." He moved them a little in the covers of the fabric, as though testing, and couldn't quite disguise the wince. "They still feel… strange."

Emily nodded, not quite knowing what to say. Which was frustrating because there were so many things that they should've talked through. The words that eventually crawled out of her mouth weren't those she'd expected. "Look, I… I'm sorry, that I couldn't be there. Through it all." When he thought he lost Maeve. When _they_ chased him. When he was captured.

To her surprise Spencer gave her a small smile. "You're here now, Emily. You've risked so much for us. You can't try to tell me that it isn't enough."

Emily couldn't resist responding to that smile. Somehow just a little bit of the world was in its right place once more. "I've missed you", she confessed in a uncharacteristic moment of weakness.

Spencer blinked once with stun. The smile from before widened. "I missed you, too."

Upon leaving the room and sauntering towards the small apartment's kitchen Emily found Maeve making tea. Clearly the woman had spent long enough in England. "How is he?" the other asked, only a slight hint in that voice betraying the level of worry lurking within.

Emily didn't have the slightest clue what to say. In the end she decided on honesty. "About as well as expected." She eyed on the other. "How about you? You seemed queasy through the entire flight and again this morning."

To her surprise Maeve emitted a small, somewhat choked chuckle. The woman's eyes strayed towards the bedroom before she spoke quietly. "I'm completely fine. Actually… It's perfectly normal to feel a bit nauseous in my… situation."

It took Emily a very long moment. But slowly yet surely those words sunk in. Her eyes widened a fraction. "How far along are you?" was all that she managed in the end.

"I'd suspect that around seven weeks. I haven't been to a doctor yet but I've taken five tests to make sure." A tender, protective hand was pressed on a stomach that didn't show even the slightest bit of swell yet. Although Maeve's whole being radiated joy and excitement there were also shadows of doubt and fear hiding in her eyes. "I… haven't told Spence yet. I don't know how to."

Emily understood, better than well. They lived in a world that was in a state of war. In a world where their kind were hunted and persecuted. There was no telling just how bad things might get. What kind of a world was ahead of them. Bearing a child in the middle of all that…

Emily's lips opened but before she could utter a sound the bedroom's door opened wider and Spencer walked out. There was a grim look on his face. "The call just came", he revealed in a unnaturally tight voice. "He told me to come alone. A car will come and get me."

Emily frowned, shivers of discomfort running through her. "Are you sure that you want to do this?" In her mind she begged him to say 'no'. Of course he was far too stubborn for that.

Spencer nodded resolutely. "This mess… It's too deep to be stopped all of a sudden. But I'll have to do what I can to get my family out of it."  
Maeve made her way to the genius. A wave of warmth went through Emily while she observed, feeling like an intruder, how the two of them exchanged whispers and a kiss of goodbye. It was good to see that after everything he'd gone through Spencer had found someone like Maeve. Emily didn't think that she'd ever seen two people more in love.

"Be careful", were the quiet yet firm words Spencer was sent off with.

Spencer nodded solemnly. They all knew that it wasn't quite that simple. With a one last look at them both he headed towards the door and left, clearly knowing that a second more of stalling might've broken his resolve.

The inner turmoil Maeve went through was palpable. For a few moments the woman's eyes shimmered with moisture until she gathered herself with a deep breath. "So… Tea?"

Emily nodded. Because, heaven forbid, she'd spent too long in London, too. And what else was there to do?

* * *

Aaron wasn't a military man. But he did know what it meant to be sealed out while those who called the shots decided to have an important discussion. Seeing the higher ups gathering to a meeting room at the bureau's new base he felt cold shivers cross his whole body.

Of course he realized that he was considered someone to be regarded with suspicion. One member of his team turned out to be one of the Others. Two more members had, apparently, been helping the enemy, as the Others were viewed. It was only to be expected that they lay some suspicion on him as well.

Which, of course, didn't mean that he would've just accepted his fate quietly.

While five people had already entered the mysterious, ominous meeting Aaron was surprised to discover that someone who wasn't usually invited was about to join in. Walking towards the large, oval shaped office was none other than Mateo Cruz. Mateo, who was no longer a section chief but a consultant.

Their eyes met. And although Aaron knew that he owed his former boss a million favors for the war the man put up for his team he chose to strive for owing another one. His steps were slow but not hesitant when he approached. "What's going on?" he demanded, his voice sharped by worry.

Mateo appeared deeply torn for a while, then sighed. "I shouldn't be telling you even this, but…" Dark eyes glanced around restlessly yet subtly. Only a careful eye spotted the scan. "There's been risk level 5 activity." The voice was quiet yet clear. "We're going to have to act quickly. So if there's someone you need to contact… Do it soon." With those eerie words the former section chief began to march towards the chilling oval office.

Confusion and even fear creeped through Aaron while he wondered what the man was talking about. Then he spotted something that made him feel several degrees colder than before. Some might've assumed that it was a mistake from Mateo's part but he knew better.

His former boss was holding a thick file. One photograph had slipped out partially, just enough to give him a glimpse of the face. It was a picture of Spencer Reid.

* * *

When Spencer entered a small and long since abandoned, seemingly harmless old warehouse he couldn't possibly have the slightest clue of all his company.

Five armed guards were rapidly spreading strategically around the building while one lone figure took such a spot from which it was easy to see Spencer entering. In the meantime a car parked outside to a empty, shadowy alley. A person rose from the backseat, instantly followed by three security guards.

Spencer, perhaps, wasn't able to discover the desperate, misguided soul that also sneaked into the building. But the person that climbed out of the vehicle was. A hand rose, signaling the followers to stop.

"We have company", a firm, authoritative voice announced sharply. When one of the guards moved the leader gave a firm shake of a head. "No. I'm taking care of this one myself. He's relatively harmless, anyway. Don't come inside unless instructed otherwise."

Oblivious to the drama Spencer went on cautiously and frowned at the seemingly empty space. His muscles stiffening with adrenaline overload he paused and listened intently. Quite soon his eyes adjusted enough to distinguish a familiar shadow. "I'm here. Alone", he announced, his voice a touch sharper than he'd intended. "So let's talk."

Surely enough Jason Gideon emerged, his expression grim. There was a new scar marring the man's cheek and exhaustion in those formerly familiar eyes. "I'm sorry that we didn't get the chance to talk before we parted ways the previous time. But right now it's vital that you listen to what I have to say."

Spencer's eyes flashed. Fire coursed through his veins. "You're one of those who started this war. I may have been practically unconscious at the time but I remember that much", he growled. The betrayal was still there, aching and burning. "I thought… I thought that I could trust you, once. And I did. I looked up to you. So why should I listen to you now?"

"Because your life depends on it."

Higher in the building, carefully hidden in the shadows, a gun rose. The hands holding it trembled, making aiming properly impossible. The target shifted between the two men.

And then it was too late, anyway.

"You're waiting for the leader, aren't you?" a deceitfully pleasant female voice observed. "Well, Thomas… Here I am."

Thomas Rhyes, who celebrated his twenty-second birthday a couple of months earlier, stiffened completely. Cold sweat broke through while his heart began to hammer furiously. He joined the self-proclaimed 'cleaning up crew' around four months earlier, when an attack of the Others killed his little sister. It was by accident, really, that he found out about this meeting at all through hacking a couple of well chosen phone calls. This attack was his very own attempt to tear down several of the greatest enemies, to protect his kind. It was dangerous but he had a solid plan. Yet even there, in the middle of great terror, he knew for a fact that his plan was about to fail. This stranger wasn't supposed to know his name.

He turned his head abruptly. Somehow a woman with blonde hair and extremely sharp eyes had managed to sneak up on him without him noticing. A woman whose face he'd never seen before although she just said that she was…

He swallowed loudly. Mercifully he was too far gone into a shock to notice how pitiably he was trembling. "But… You're not the leader."

"Lesson number one", the woman adviced him, leaning closer. She didn't seem to even notice his gun. "Don't believe everything you're told. Because sometimes people… tend to make incorrect assumptions."

Thomas' mouth opened but even a word wouldn't come out. It was like something had taken a hold of him. What was this woman doing to him?

"Now… You have two options", the woman explained calmly. "Either you walk away, forget that any of this happened and live a long, happy life. Or you use that gun. Which one do you choose?"

The hold on Thomas' mind grew slack. He took his chance instantly. In a blink the gun was raised and pointed.

Down below Jason sighed, shoulders slumping. "You shouldn't have returned to States", the man stated in a gloomy voice. "It's not safe for you."

Spencer frowned. "It's not safe for anyone. Why shouldn't I try to protect my family?"

Jason's eyes darkened. "Because you're someone they want to get their hands on. You've become a very valuable bargaining tool." Teeth were gritted so hard that it had to hurt. "You're the son of the Others' real leader."

Spencer blinked. Once, twice. "What?"

The echo of a gunshot was unnaturally loud.

Diana Reid stared at the body at her feet with unreadable eyes, knowing entirely too well that she felt far too little. But then again, if she had to choose between the lives of her son and some unknown enemy the decision was quite simple. She only did what was necessary.

Besides, now wasn't the time to let her attention stray. She sighed, her heart more than a little heavy. There was a family meeting ahead of her.

The gunshot still rang in Spencer's ears while he ducked for cover, carefully making sure that Jason had found cover as well. His mind raced a million miles per hour, desperately trying to bring some sense to what was going on around him. And then all stilled to a entirely too familiar voice whispering in his head.

'_Hello, Spencer._'

Spencer gasped, his eyes flying wide. It couldn't be… "Mom…?"

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: That… was pretty intense. (takes a deep breath) Soooooo, what happens next? How will Reid react to his mom's secret? And what happens when he finally meets most of the team?

PLEASE, do leave a note to let me know your thoughts! That box does look quite inviting, doesn't it? (winks)

I've really gotta go now. Lots of typing and updating ahead! (grins) Until next time, you all! I really hope that I'll see you then.

Take care!

* * *

**Guest**: I'm super happy to hear that you feel so! (BEAMS) We'll see just what's up ahead next. I truly hope that you'll remain as captivated when the story goes on.

Gigantic thank yous for the review!


	3. Family Matters

A/N: Guess what? It's time for another chapter of this story to appear. (smirks)

THANK YOU, so much, for your reviews and love for this story! It warms my heart more than you could ever imagine that you've enjoyed this storyline enough to follow it to a sequel. (HUGS)

Awkay, before I get all mushy… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Family Matters

* * *

Spencer's heart hammered while he stared at the woman walking out of the shadows. Every little cell in his body was on fire and his lungs felt like they'd been stretched to the extreme. He'd never, ever experienced such pain before.

This woman was the centre of his life for such a long time. The only constant in his life. And now he began to realize that he'd never known her at all.

His mother stopped, clearly hearing his thoughts loud and clear. They had to be screaming in her head. Her expression didn't change much but there was grief in her eyes. "Spencer… I'm truly sorry that you had to find out this way."

It took just about all Spencer had to hold himself together. The tension mounting inside him showed with a tremble that spread quickly from his hands to the rest of his body, along with the fire that was driving him insane with its intensity. "Why?" Because really, that was the only question that mattered at the moment.

The eyes that looked at him weren't the same she had when she used to kiss him goodnight, in another life. That person… Did she even exist? Was it just a façade, a magic trick? "Because after the things that I saw in their minds… After what they did to me… It was the only thing that I could imagine doing."

Spencer shook his head. His eyes were stinging hellishly but he couldn't feel any moisture yet. "The only thing you… The only thing you could imagine doing was to kill them?"

Diana sighed, her eyes sad, helpless and frustrated. "It was to kill them or to let them kill us. It's basic survival instinct, Spencer. They're a rivaling species. There can never be a harmony between us."

Spencer gritted his teeth. His throat was tight but surprisingly the words came out strong. "There can't be a future out of tearing each other apart, either."

His mother's expression was grim. "They won't get the chance to tear us apart. Not if we get to them first."

Spencer didn't even notice the single tear that rolled. His jaw was tight with agony and rage. "My friends… They could've all been in the bureau when your troupes destroyed it. You could've… You could've killed them all. You _did_ kill all those people…!"

"I've done what I had to in order to protect my family." Diana's eyes were blazing but there, deep down, was the mother's love he'd grown used to seeing. "You can't tell me honestly that you wouldn't do the same."

And Spencer couldn't. Not really. But starting something like this…

"I hardly started the war", Diana pointed out. There was a touch of melancholy in her voice. "It was raging well before I was properly involved."

Spencer took a deep, shuddering breath. By some miracle he managed to blink away the moisture in his eyes. "You could stop this."

Diana shook her head. "This has gone much too far to be stopped in a blink, even with my powers. All that can be done is to see this through."

If Spencer hadn't known better he would've been sure that a knife was plunged into him right there. He stared at his mother, whom he still loved from the bottom of his heart. And realized with a horrible amount of certainty that there was nothing, _nothing_, he could do to change this. So he chose the only option he had although he hated it. He looked into his mom's eyes, one more time. "I… I have to go." _I can't stay around you any longer._ He turned away, feeling something inside him being torn to pieces. "Don't have anyone follow me. Just… Let me go."

"I will. I promise. But first… There's something that I want to tell you. Maybe it'll help you finally understand." There was a long pause, and for some inexplainable reason Spencer indeed stopped walking. Diana went on as soon as he'd stopped fully. "I need you to know what made me get involved in all of this."

* * *

It took a mighty while before JJ managed to breathe properly. Even then she didn't dare to try getting up from the floor. Tears burned in her eyes and a fire blazed in her chest.

The bureau… It was destroyed. A lot of people were dead. And it was more than likely that Will played a part in it. What the hell…?!

"_Mommy?_" It took a long moment before she realized that the small, tentative voice was very much real. Henry sounded scared. When she couldn't bring her voice to work he tried again, more desperately. "_Mommy?_"

JJ swallowed and wiped her eyes. She spoke although there was barely any breath left in her. "I'm here, sweetie. I'm okay."

There was a long silence, especially considering that the other participant to the conversation was a small child. "_Are you… scared of me?_"

Those words, whispered in the kind of a voice that should've never come out of her son's mouth, broke JJ's heart. This time she didn't waste a single precious second before answering. "No, honey. I'm not scared of you and I never will be. Never, ever think otherwise. And do you know why that is?"

"_Why?_"

The tears in Henry's voice were more than enough to push her up off the floor. Her legs weren't steady but they held when she made her way to the bathroom's door and opened it. Behind it Henry was shaking so hard that he could barely stand.

JJ gulped, her own eyes far from dry. "Because, sweetie… You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love you more than anything in this whole wide world." It was something she'd sworn to him since he was a baby. Now the words held more meaning than ever.

There, holding her son tightly, JJ came to a decision. True enough, she or her former team combined wouldn't be able to stop the war. But she'd do whatever she could to get her extended family to safety. Because she couldn't even think of the possibility that she'd lose one of them.

* * *

Maeve wasn't a profiler or a telepath. But she could tell that something was badly wrong the instant Spencer returned from the mysterious meeting. Although he tried to remain in control over himself his eyes were haunted and a massive weight seemed to have been laid over his entire being. It became apparent why when he finally told her and Emily what he found out.

After all had been revealed she gave him a agonizinly long hour before walking into the bedroom. He blinked slowly at the plastic dish of dough she was carrying along. "What…?"

"That… is going to be the best brownies you've ever had in your life. Right after someone's stirred it properly, of course. You may be the perfect man for the job." Seeing the way his hands shook while he started the task she kissed his cheek, gently yet with passion. "In case you're worrying… We don't have to talk about _it_. Or anything. At least not yet."

All of a sudden she was the sole centre of all Spencer's attention. Those hazel eyes drank her in, as though worried that she might vanish if he'd as much as blink. For a moment a suffocatingly heavy silence lingered until he breathed out. "Don't ever make me lose you again."

It took much longer than it should've before Maeve managed to take those words for what they truly meant. Her eyes widened while something incredibly warm and overwhelmingly strong flowed through her. If she hadn't known better she would've thought that the baby was already kicking. "Are you… asking me to marry you?"

Spencer seemed absolutely horrified and so excited that he was about to burst at the same time. His eyes were wide and there was quite little color on his face, aside a hint of red on his cheeks. His mouth opened twice before he succeeded in producing a response. "Yes."

Oh, how Maeve's heart was singing to scream out a YES. But at the last moment reason kicked in. There was a war raging around them. He'd already lost her once, she came less than an inch from losing him what felt like a blink ago. "I'm not going to give you my answer yet", she announced firmly, staring right into his eyes. Her voice was far more unsteady than she'd expected. "When the war's over, or when we're all safe… When we're both standing there together, alive… Then I'll answer you."

There was a flash of hurt on Spencer's face until realization dawned. His eyes darkened, full of love and devotion, while he nodded slowly. They both knew that all they could do was promise to try their hardest, no matter how much it ached. And then he was kissing her with all the passion that he could muster.

It didn't take long before the heat of the moment intensified. Soon enough hands were everywhere, the touches began to burn with need and urge took over completely. That was when Maeve remembered something.

She groaned, although it sounded more like a purr under the courses that'd taken over her. "Your hands… There's dough all over them." And, as it turned out, all over her hair and pretty much entire body.

Spencer smirked in a filthy way most wouldn't have thought he was able to muster. "Take the benefits into equation", he adviced in a husky voice that sent very pleasant shivers down her spine. "We'll get to take a shower together."

Neither of them got brownies on that day. But they did get a couple of hours of bliss. And that was exactly what they needed.

When they finally came out of the hormone and lust driven hue they realized that at some point Emily had returned. They didn't know how much the poor woman had heard but she seemed to be blushing and refused to look at them properly while announcing that they should get ready for a meeting. Although the world was in a state of chaos and there was a thunderstorm of uncertainty ahead Spencer and Maeve looked at each other when they made it to the safety of their room and giggled like two children.

* * *

Aside the son that he was allowed to announce his officially there were only two people Jason Gideon cherished to a point of being willing to do anything for them. So hearing the words that Spencer spat out, no matter how justified they were… Seeing the way they wounded Diana… It made his heart bleed.

Finally back at the Others' base he was, for once, bold enough to enter Diana's room without being invited. She was standing with her back towards him, staring at the rapidly gathering rain clouds, but of course she knew that he was there. "I'm a big girl, Jason", she pointed out softly, almost fondly. "I'm not going to fall apart."

He walked closer, stopped a single delicate step away from her. Their hands lingered, not touching but close enough for them to be able to feel each other's warmth. '_He loves you still_', he swore to her, switching to a far more private form of communication that came effortlessly. '_And telling him… It was the right thing to do._'

'_I know._' Diana's mental voice sounded sad. '_He loves us both. But I'm afraid that we'll never walk the same path again._'

For some reason that reminder slashed Jason deeply, enough so to make him shudder. Even if he'd already come to that sombre realization himself. But the weight of the loss, the sacrifice, didn't diminish with knowledge and over time.

'_I remember a day when he was trying to learn to drive a bike._' Diana's eyes shimmered but no actual moisture formed or fell. It took a couple of moments before she managed to go on. '_He fell down and cut himself. The amount of blood… It was horrible. And he was crying so hard that he could barely breathe. He was hysterical, William was at work and I was panicking. It was a disaster._' She closed her eyes. '_The following morning he was trying again before I could stop him or even made it there to watch over him. And fell down again. I tried to scold him but he… he smiled at me._' One actual tear slid through, no more. '_He smiled. And he said, 'It's okay, mommy. I need to do this on my own'._'

Jason found it much harder than it should've been to control his own emotions. '_You raised him to be strong. You can be proud of him._'

Diana's chuckle was brief and without humor. '_He learned that all by himself. But I am very proud of him, every single day._' She unleashed a shuddering sigh, as though to test if she was still able to breathe. '_But sometimes… Sometimes I wish that I wouldn't have to be so scared for him all the time._'

Jason's sigh wasn't the slightest bit more steady. The first raindrops began to fall. '_He'll make it through this, Diana. We'll make sure of that._'

'_Yes, he will._' Her declaration was harder than steel, fueled by sheer despair. '_And so will our grandchildren._'

A violent shudder crossed Jason from head to toe. His eyes widened dramatically. "What?" he sputtered out loud.

* * *

As she entered a long ago abandoned underground factory hall, followed by Spencer and Maeve, Emily was surprised to discover that she still remembered the first time she met the BAU-team like it happened mere hours ago. The uncertainty. The need to be accepted, lingering somewhere deep down. Since then those people became her second family, or perhaps her first real one. Making them believe that she was dead for a moment nearly killed her. Leaving them for what she assumed to be forever was the hardest thing she'd ever done.

And here she was.

She heard familiar voices a while before they'd see her. For a moment the temptation to turn around and run away lingered on her skin. But she'd never been a coward and she wasn't about to start now.

All talking stopped when they finally heard her steps. She took a deep breath, hoping that the couple behind her didn't hear, then stepped out into the open. Instantly she met four pairs of bewildered eyes. "Prentiss?"

Emily didn't smile as a greeting because it would've felt out of place. Instead she nodded, giving each and every single one of them a long, lingering look. Greedily taking in the faces that she thought she'd never see again.

David seemed to have aged a decade since she last saw him and the stress was loudly present in his haunted eyes. It was much the same with Aaron, who appeared to have a brand new scar on his neck. It was stunning to see that the unit chief wasn't wearing a suit anymore, having chosen a pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt instead. JJ looked like she'd been crying recently and she'd cut her hair. This time it wasn't to test out a new style, Emily realized, but to symbolize that in this insane new world JJ lost a part of herself. The grief and internal torment were heavy in those blue eyes. Derek was a mess, to put it simply. The man was painfully banged up, with several still bandaged wounds, and only sheer stubbornness seemed to be keeping the man up. His eyes weren't telling any cheerier of a story. In a way his condition was the perfect metaphor to the state of their family.

A little bit of light, however, appeared when they realized that she was really, truly there. Alive and well. Like they hadn't quite dared to believe as much from the text with which she invited them to this place.

"We… have a lot to talk about", she admitted. "But not now, before Garcia's safely with us." She gritted her teeth. "This war you've been pulled into… It's not yours to fight."

Derek's eyes flashed. "The hell it isn't! Leonor just tried to recruite me against my family, against everything that I believe in. She tried to fool me to her side even though she knew full well that since day one I've been trying to help those who pay the price of this idiocy!"

Emily felt deep sympathy towards the mocha skinned agent. Derek had always been the type that wanted to _fix things_. Unfortunately this mess was too deep even for him. "Morgan, there's nothing you can do to stop this war. What any of you can do. As soon as Garcia's been rescued I'll pull every string that I can to get all seven of you, along with Henry, Jack and Will, far away from here."

The others mulled over those words in a stunned silence for a moment. In the end it was Derek's voice the rest of them heard. "Seven of us?"

It wasn't until then Spencer and Maeve stepped to view. At first a stunned silence filled the space. Then, before any of them saw it coming, JJ sprinted her way to him and hugged him as tightly as humanly possible, clearly unaware of the still sore spots. And he let her although it had to hurt, held on just as tightly. Somehow no words were needed right there.

As soon as the tender moment was over the rest of the team and the newly returned genius looked at each other. There was a clearly palpable amount of tension in the air. Which wasn't a surprise. Before Spencer was torn away from them the wound left by his secret being revealed was still fresh and tender. They never had the chance to really talk it through.

Derek's Adam's Apple bobbed. The usually confident man appeared hesitant. "Reid…"

Spencer smiled, faintly but still. "I know." It wasn't a magic word to fix all. But it was a start.

Aaron frowned although relief was still clearly present. "I just saw a file with your picture in it. Do they know that you're alive? That you're back?"

Spencer's eyes darkened considerably. The tall man's whole body tensed up. "They do. And they have a good reason to keep an eye on me." He took a deep, uneven breath. "My mom… She's the real leader of the Others."

It took a bit too long before the baffling recent events had been retold. By the time it was all cleared out as throughoutly as possible they were stunned to a deep silence. JJ recovered the fastest. "I… I want to get my son away from here. I want to get us all away from here. How do we find Penelope?"

Derek appeared frustrated and outraged. "I know where she is, where they keep the injured prisoners. But it's a high security location. We're never going to get in."

Emily shook her head. "We may have a way." She focused and all of a sudden it was Erica Leonor standing in her place. "If we have a proper plan."

* * *

After her hazy younger years, and mostly even during them, Penelope Garcia had done what she thought was right. Of course she was acutely aware that she'd made tons of mistakes along the way but at least she tried. And when she saw what humans did to the Others… She just couldn't turn the blind eye.

And here she was.

She jumped in her bed when the door was opened and Erica Leonor walked in, eyes blazing. The woman watched her for a while before speaking. "I'm under the impression that you've been awake long enough to find out the consequences of your actions. Those people you've been helping… They destroyed the bureau, killed a lot of people who were only attempting to protect their kind." There was a hazardous flash. "In case you still care, Derek Morgan regained consciousness a while ago. He'll be fine."

It was like a punch right at her face, like getting shot all over again. Penelope fought furiously to keep a whimper from erupting. To convince herself that no, this wasn't just some sick nightmare that'd end soon.

Penelope swallowed and looked away, her eyes moist and dangerously close to overflowing. "I… I didn't know, until the last minute. That… That the Bureau is their target. They warned me so late that I couldn't stop it anymore, told me to get out. And…" And after that a lot of people she'd worked with for years, seen almost every day, were dead.

For a long moment Erica looked at her with clearly apparent disgust. With eyes that didn't believe a word coming out of her mouth. Then, so suddenly that it chilled her, a small cold smile came. "You'll face your punishment. There'll be a trial", the agent promised, then leaned closer. "But that's not the only reason we've decided to have you here."

Penelope looked at the other, her whole being filling with dread and terror when realization began to dawn.

"Spencer Reid made the mistake of returning", Erica revealed, as though trusting her with a great secret. "I've made sure that the news of your… situation reach his ears. And when he finds out… Well, I doubt that he'd just leave you here."

Penelope's heart hammered at a impossible speed. There was no longer holding back the tears. Her whole body was trembling pitiably.

What had she done?!

Erica seemed very pleased by her reaction. "He'll come for you", the agent swore. "And when he does… We'll be ready."

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Leave no man behind! The BAU-family (well, the extended version of it) is planning on making a run for it. But will they make it to safety?

Sooo… Any thoughts? Please, do leave a note.

I've really gotta go now. A busy bee is busy. (grins) I really hope that I'll see ya all next time!

Take care!


	4. Mousetrap

A/N: Yup, it's updating time! To be honest I wasn't sure if I'd manage to update today but here I am. Yay?

Firstly, though, THANK YOU so much for your reviews and support! I'm still baffled that so many of you are willing to dive in to a sequel. (BEAMS)

Awkay, because my time's running a bit short, let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Mousetrap

* * *

The drive to the military base holding Penelope and who knows what else was full of tense silence. In truth they couldn't be fully certain what they were up against. All they knew was that they'd face enemy soldiers, a lot of them and in full arms while all they had was handguns and luck. Which, to be honest, was quite often not on their side. But they also couldn't just leave a member of their family behind. Not like this. So off towards the flames it was.

"There's… something I need to tell you, before we get there." Spencer's quiet voice pierced the silence that'd lasted for a long time. Instantly he had everyone's attention. For once he didn't seem bothered by it, most likely because he didn't notice. He appeared even paler than usual. "I… When I met my mom she… told me something." He looked at them all, appearing somewhat nervous. "The humans… They've been developing a cure. It's fully completed now, ready to be used."

"A cure?" David appeared lost for a moment until realization dawned. A somewhat nauseated look appeared to his face. "Oh…!"

"I don't understand." JJ appeared tense and puzzled. "How… can there be a cure to something your kind just… are?"

Spencer swallowed. His hands didn't seem steady. "That's the catch. There can't be."

It took a while before those words sunk in. When they did they all felt sick to their stomachs. It was almost too horrible to be true.

The cure… It'd destroy the Others from the inside. It'd attack what made them who and what they were, tearing everything to pieces until there was nothing left. Until there was no life left.

How the hell was _that_ human?!

"We've gotta destroy it", Emily whispered, visibly shocked.

Spencer nodded solemnly. "It's in the lower floors of the building, in the laboratory. Apparently it's not too heavily guarded because no outsider is ever supposed to get that far."

They all pondered this for a moment. Then Emily's eyes flashed. "I know a secret entrance that leads almost directly to the laboratories. That's, of course, if they haven't discovered and sealed it throughoutly. I'm going there with you."

"No", Aaron, who'd been focused on driving, interjected. Finally reclaimed his position as the leader. "Garcia's floor is far more highly guarded. If we want any hope of getting to her we need your abilities."

"I'll go with Spence", Maeve offered. There wasn't a hint of hesitation on her face. Seeing his mouth open for a protest she went on quickly and firmly. "I can take care of myself. I'm the only one of us who can take a bullet without getting a scratch."

Aaron nodded stiffly. By then they were so close to their destination that he had to park, careful to leave the vehicle so that it wouldn't arouse suspicion. "Alright, then. Reid and Maeve, destroy the cure. Morgan and Prentiss, go and get Garcia. And quickly. I don't know how long we can be here before they notice something. I'd prefer that we all went in but the more of us enter that building the greater the risks will be." He gave the four of them a firm look. "Be safe, all of you."

* * *

Finding the secret entrance Emily mentioned wasn't difficult at all, especially with Spencer's eidetic memory that had every little turn stored. But, Maeve found, actually facing the potential danger was much harder. Especially when she'd never had quite as much to lose.

Their hands brushed together while they hid behind a corner to wait for a guard patrol to pass by. The gesture, albeit brief and half accidental, offered them both much needed warmth and comfort. Gave them hope that perhaps they'd make it through this whole mess alive, after all.

Soon enough the most acute threat was gone. They exchanged stern looks of mutual understanding before he knelt down, starting to work on the hatch with a screwdriver while she kept watch. The four minutes that passed by felt endless but eventually there was a metallic jingle before the lid that'd been covering the entrance fell down.

They exchanged a smile of triumph before Maeve moved to enter. Only to find Spencer blocking her path. She frowned with suspicion. "Spence, what are you doing?"

Spencer's eyes were full of sadness and determination when they met hers. "I… I'm sorry, Maeve. But… I already lost you once. And I'm not taking the risk of that happening twice."

Fear and intense fury flared inside Maeve. She gritted her teeth. "I'm not a damsel in distress!" she hissed venomously. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself! I'm indestructable, remember?"

Spencer gulped loudly. "You may be", he admitted. Slowly, slowly, his eyes slid towards her stomach although even the slightest bit of swell couldn't be seen yet. "But they aren't. I couldn't live with myself if I risked their lives like this."

Shock numbed Maeve for a moment. Her head, which was stuck on panic mode, didn't seem able to decide which bit was more surprising. The fact that he knew in the first place. Or that apparently there were several lives growing inside her.

Spencer smiled almost fondly at her stunned expression. "My mom's a telepath", he reminded her. "She's been keeping an eye on us and found out. And apparently she's also a huge gossip."

Maeve unleashed a shuddering sigh. "I'm sorry", she whispered. "I didn't want you to find out this way. I wanted…" In truth she didn't know what, exactly, she wanted. Something intimate and romantic, maybe. Not him blurting out that he already knew with several hostile soldiers nearby and with the two of them about to enter the eye of the danger.

Spencer sighed. On the spur of the moment, it seemed, he planted a small, chaste kiss to her forehead. "It's okay", he reassured. "I'm glad that I know." He brushed her face gently. "You'll be a great mom."

All of a sudden there was five steps between them. Before she could make a move to stop him Spencer had already hauled himself through the secret door.

Maeve stepped forth with a frown. "Spence, what…?"

Once more he met her eyes. There was a apology in them. "Go back to the others. Quickly, before you're spotted." His jawline tightened for a moment. "I'm sorry. But it'll be okay, I promise." With those words he closed the hatch between them.

Maeve dashed forward although she knew that it was hopeless. Sure enough the hatch was firmly sealed. It took longer than it should've before she realized why her eyes blurred. "Spencer!"

* * *

Derek couldn't help feeling a massive wave of discomfort while he walked beside a person he knew, according to all sense, to be Emily Prentiss. But every single move… That expression… Even the air around her… It was impossible to not believe that it was Erica Leonor.

When they approached the elevator that'd take them to Penelope's current location the much too young guard keeping an eye on it certainly seemed convinced. His gray eyes widened with stun and his face lost a bit of color. "Dr. Leonor?" The young man glanced warily towards Derek. "What… is this?"

How Emily had succeeded in copying even that voice was beyond him. She must've spent hours upon hours memorizing and practising. "Agent Morgan is interested in joining us", she announced. "But at first he wants to talk to a prisoner."

The guard relaxed visibly. Appeared so young and trusting that it hurt. A tiny part of Derek felt guilt while he wondered just how much trouble they were throwing the misguided youngling into. But this was war and he had several important people to protect. Now wasn't the time to feel sympathy towards the enemy.

The halfstep Emily took to the right was so swift and subtle that only a well trained eye could've possibly caught it. She moved at the exact same moment the young guard did, causing them to bump into one another. She growled, one of her hands pushing harshly to his shoulder. "Watch where you're going!"

They walked through the double doors and entered the elevator, leaving the guard sputtering horrified apologies. There, in the safety, Derek finally dared the blink slowly, his head whirring. "Did… you just…?"

"… drug him?" Emily supplied. She nodded, a very familiar determination on her face. "He should be out like light in…" She checked the time. "… twenty seconds."

For while Derek stared at her. Of course he understood entirely too well just how horrible and dangerous the situation was. But at that moment he chuckled. "I've missed you", he confided heartily.

Emily smiled back, her eyes saying more than enough.

A 'bing' announced that they'd hit the correct floor. Derek's stomach turned with discomfort at the realization that they'd reached the medical wing. Just how badly was Penelope injured?

The three minutes and eleven seconds it took them to find the correct room felt endless. Especially because they had to advance slowly to avoid arousing the attention of guards. But eventually they reached the door they'd been looking for.

Derek's eyebrow bounced up when Emily pulled out a key. It fit the lock perfectly. "Where did you get that from?"

Emily shrugged. "From that guard we met. I used to be Lauren Reynolds for a while, remember?" With that she pushed the door open, clearly not desiring to waste any more time. What they discovered made Derek shiver.

Penelope appeared ill. There was no other word to describe it. She was pale and seemed to barely stay on her own two feet. There was a wound on her forehead that'd been stitched up so poorly that it was bound to scar horribly. He didn't want to even think about the injuries that were probably hiding underneath the black shirt and pants they'd given her. She was moving although it seemed to hurt, apparently looking for a way out.

At first Penelope seemed startled, enough so attempt an attack against them. Before she ever did, though, she seemed to come back to herself. Her eyes widened, then filled with moisture. "Oh, thank god…!"

Derek just had to smile a bit there. "I'm happy to see you too, baby girl. But right now we've gotta get out of here."

Both women nodded their confirmation. Without a beat of hesitation Emily made her way to the room's far wall, placed her hands to two panels and pushed. There was a screech and in a few moments a small tunnel was wide open right in front of them.

Penelope gasped. Derek felt a wave of stun. "How…?"

Emily's eyes darkened a little. "This isn't my first time escaping this place. I had to pull a couple of strings to get Garcia transferred into this cell." She nodded towards the tunnel. "Now let's go. The others are waiting for us."

"Wait!" All of a sudden Penelope's eyes were full of sheer terror. She looked at them both. "Where's Reid?"

Derek frowned. Without a warning he was feeling very, very cold. "He… shouldn't be far. Why?" All alarm bells had already gone off in his head.

Sheer panic took over Penelope's face. "We have to find him, right now! This is a trap – Leonor was trying to lure him here! We… We have to find him before she gets to him!"

* * *

In the meantime Spencer was making his way downstairs, trying to ignore the dark memories that rose when he saw a door that'd been marked with X. Mercifully his thoughts were shoved elsewhere when the door opened. He was just in time to withdraw into the shadows when a man and a woman dressed in lab coats left the room, talking in hushed yet urgent tones that he couldn't quite make out.

Spencer decided to take a risk and dashed for the rapidly closing door as fast and soundlessly he could. He succeeded. Never catching the attention of the scientists he slipped in and listened on how the door sighed closed without a blink's delay. He even managed to avoid the security cameras placed to his path, one at the end of the hallway he just left and another nearby the ceiling of the room he sneaked in to.

Or perhaps laboratory would've been a more suitable term. Spencer's eyes widened as he took in the space around him. A tidal wave of disgust crashed through.

The equipment around him… Several kinds of surgical blades, test and bloodtest tubes, petri dishes, countless of liquids, devices that he was very happy not recognizing… The sight made him feel sick to his stomach. And that was even before he noticed the cells.

There, in what appeared to be around forty or fifty plastic cubicles, were people he instinctively knew to be his kind. Their faces and eyes full of terror and exhaustion, most of them battered, nearly every single one of them so weak that they couldn't even stand. There were women and small children included. His eyes caught at least two women who were pregnant. One of them looked like she might go into labour any minute.

Spencer's eyes narrowed and nearly overflowed, tears of rage and immense grief wanting to fall. His mouth opened but he couldn't produce a sound. What words would've been enough for such a horrible place?

All of a sudden a small child, most likely not even eight years old, noticed him. Instantly her surreally blue eyes filled with hope. Her long, greasy and matted nearly black hair didn't move while she stumbled to her cell's wall, pressing one tiny hand against it. "You… You're not one of them", she observed, her voice full of relief and joy. "Did you come to take us away from here? Can I go home now?"

A stab of ache crossed Spencer. He swallowed but it did nothing to help with the bitter taste in his mouth. Oh, if only he'd been able to take all of these people with him. To give them the freedom that they so deserved.

"So you found my little research centre." Erica Leonor's voice came so unexpectedly that Spencer shivered. Turning around he found a ice cold smile from her face. "I was starting to grow tired of waiting for you. It took you longer than I expected to appear."

Spencer took an instinctive step backwards, placing himself so that he was blocking her way to the child who just spoke to him. Like he would've been able to protect the little one. "How did you know I'm here?" He asked although he had his suspicions.

Erica shrugged, looking at him dryly. "We've been able to micro chip our household pets for a very long time, now. Surely we can do as much to our enemies. Especially to those that are valuable to find."

Spencer was careful to not let anything show on his face. His heart was leaping with alarm. "Valuable?" he inquired.

"It took us a while to discover the real face behind their army. The brat that finally gave us the final piece… screamed quite spectacularly. Begged your mother to help." Erica began to approach, a hazardous gleam taking over her eyes. "I'm surprised that your mother isn't here yet. Perhaps it's true what they say, that your kind don't care about their young." She shrugged. "But oh well. We'll spend some quality time together while waiting for her."

Spencer's whole system was functioning on overdrive. One of his hands was sliding towards his gun subtly and infuriatingly slowly while everything around him seemed to be working entirely too fast. Maybe it was the rush of blood in his ears that kept him from realizing that the real threat came from behind.

There was a single step, no more. Then a breath of air that sounded like a sigh. It was impossible to tell if the brutal attack to the back of his neck was a tranquilizer dart or a bullet. Not that Spencer would've had long to wonder. In a matter of seconds everything turned into a blur and his feet gave out underneath him just as he managed to turn his head towards the unexpected attacker. The last thing he saw before darkness took over was a black figure standing a few steps away.

Erica watched Spencer's collapsed form for a moment and smiled coolly, her eyes then rising to meet the other person still standing.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Oh… no! (winces) This… so isn't good. What in the world happens now? And who was the person that shot Reid?

Thoughts? Something you'd like to share? Do leave a note!

I've gotta go now. Hopefully we'll all be seeing each other next time.

Take care!

* * *

**Violet**: Such word of kindness! (beams) 'Hope you'll enjoy the next one as much.

Gosh, I'd totally love to type more of those! It means a lot that you'd be there, eager to read. (grins with excitement)

HUGE thank yous for the review!


	5. Into a Ocean of Ice

A/N: Yup, the new chapter is definitely here. (BEAMS) Before getting on with the story, though…

THANK YOU, so much, for your reviews and listings! So many of you have decided to stick around this sequel. (gets all starry eyed)

Heh, stalling is rude, isn't it? Soooo… Let's move! I truly hope that this chapter turns out worth the wait.

* * *

Into a Ocean of Ice

* * *

Outside the government building the remaining group waited and waited, far longer than would've been reasonable or safe. Stood by, desperate to see all members of their bizarre family walk out alive and well. Instead only Maeve appeared, a wild, horrified look in her eyes. Cold filled all of them while a chilling realization dawned.

"What happened?" Aaron demanded as soon as the car's door was torn open.

Maeve swallowed loudly. Her eyes weren't dry. "We… We need to help him", she pleaded. "He went there alone and locked the entrance. We have to get him out of there!"

Before they had the chance to respond Emily and Derek appeared as well, aiding Penelope along. Their faces held grim expressions. It looked like Penelope had been crying recently. Instantly they came to a mutual, solemn understanding.

"They have him", Derek breathed out. There was a palpable amount of rage on the man's face. "Those bastards…!"

"We know", Aaron confirmed stiffly. The unit chief's eyes revealed just how much even the thought pained him. "But if we want to help him, at all… We need to leave, for now."

They all glanced towards the direction the unit chief nodded. Soldiers had already gathered outside. In a blink one noticed them and began to gesture wildly. After mere moments a solid attack was in motion against them.

Derek evaluated their options although he hated gambling on his best friend's safety and very life like that.

They could stay and fight, of course. But what good would that do against such a massive enemy? They'd be captured, perhaps even worse. And how much help would they be then?

And so, going against his very nature, Derek decided that he had no other choice but to turn his back on a man he considered his brother, a man who just came back.

Clearly Maeve wasn't able to see things that way. Helpless rage took over her face when she understood that they were preparing to leave. "We can't just…!"

"Maeve." Emily's voice was tight and firm. Her eyes were pure steel despite the visible pain. "He wanted you to be safe. All of you. _Do not_ do this to him."

In some other situation Derek might've been suspicious of those curious words. As it was he inhaled a sigh of relief upon noticing that they worked. While they sped off, narrowly missing the first bullets, Derek knew that this was something he'd never forgive himself for.

* * *

From a entirely too wide experience Spencer knew not to reveal that he was awake instantly. So apparently it was just a tranquilizer dart. Which didn't mean that it wouldn't have made damage when fired upon such close range, since he could smell blood. His neck also hurt hellishly and he didn't have to be a genius to comprehend what the sticky substance covering the skin was. Otherwise he was, apparently, uninjured. Which without a doubt wouldn't last long. A strong sterile reek lingered in the air, making his head hurt.

For a few more moments he lay on the cell cubicle's floor, simply breathing and trying to rouse himself as throughoutly as possible for what was to come. He focused his attention on the bizarre tapping sound. And then his eyes opened, only halfway but still.

Through a bit of blur he saw Erica Leonor.

She tilted her head. It was impossible to read the look in her eyes. "Good morning." The scientist nodded towards her right. "There's some food and water for you. I'd imagine that you're thirsty, at very least, after the whole… debacle."

Spencer's eyes shifted somewhat against his will, the desire to ease his dry, scratchy throat overwhelming everything else. There was a bottle of water alright, along with what looked like a ham sandwich in wrappings. They were exactly one finger's length away from his reach. He didn't bother to point it out. Of course she knew.

Spencer didn't bother to try moving, either. Even without looking he could feel the steel, perhaps even thorns, digging into his ankle. It wasn't until at that brutal moment the pain finally registered fully. It was like his skin had been peeled off. There was definitely going to be a infection and a yet another scar.

Erica chuckled. "Don't look so crestfallen. I won't starve you to death, at least yet. In fact I'm proposing you a deal." She leaned forward, her eyes darker than before. "Call out to your mother. Or better yet, give us her current location. Then you can walk away."

Spencer's eyebrow bounced up. Of course he knew better than to trust her. Of course he wasn't planning on telling her a thing. But he was curious. "Just like that?"

"Just like that", Erica confirmed.

White, hot rage flooded through Spencer. In that moment of sheer wrath he lifted his wrist, showed her the series of numbers her father ordered to have tattooed on his skin. "There's no 'walking away just like that' for me", he spat out. "Your father already marked me, inside and out." He slammed the hand back down. "No matter how far I run a part of me will always be imprisoned, tortured and experimented on by him."

Erica's eyes narrowed. "You deserve as much. It's because of you he's dead."

Spencer snorted bitterly. "He isn't dead." He tapped his head with two fingers, then nodded vaguely towards his scars. "He's very much alive, right there."

Erica stared at him for a long, stilled moment and he would've liked to know what she was thinking. In the end she gritted her teeth hard. "As amusing as this has turned out I'm afraid that I have to cut this… chitchat short." She got up deviously slowly and calmly. "I attempted to get the answers with soft measures." She made her way to him, leaned down so that they were almost nose to nose. "Remember, Spencer… This is war time. And you're not even a human being." Her eyes flashed. "I have my ways to make hostile subjects speak out."

* * *

The drive took almost half an hour and in the end the running away group found a apartment building the remaining BAU-team had ever seen before. Noticing their expressions of confusion and perhaps even mistrust Emily, the one who provided the directions, spoke out. "This is a… hideout, of sorts. We'll be safe here for a while."

Technically 'safe' wasn't what they wanted. But at the moment it was their only choice. So they left the vehicle and walked on quietly.

The two bedroom apartment wasn't furnitured too throughoutly. There was a scent of someone having cooked recently but otherwise it felt hollow. It was only a temporary home at best.

As soon as she'd made sure that they were settled Emily began to head towards one of the bedrooms. "I need to make a couple of phone calls." She cast a demanding, almost pleading look towards them. "Don't do anything stupid in the meantime, alright? We're already in a deep enough trouble." So saying she closed the door.

Five minutes passed by with those left arguing over what the next move would be. That was until JJ noticed how Maeve was holding her stomach, wincing every now and then. "Are you okay?" she asked instantly.

Maeve frowned. She seemed to be shaking a little. "I'm not sure", the woman confessed quietly. She eyed on the others nervously, clearly much too aware that at the moment she was the centre of their attention. The woman stiffened a bit further.. "I'm… pregnant. And… something doesn't feel right."

For a moment shock paralyzed JJ. Then she nodded, very slowly. "Okay. Okay." She tried to keep her expression calm and reassuring although everything inside her was in a state of chaos. "Come on. It's probably nothing but maybe I can try to give you a checkup. Then you'll need to get some rest. Okay?"

Maeve nodded a bit numbly, the terror never leaving her eyes and her hand never leaving her still flat stomach.

Leading Maeve towards a bedroom JJ knew too well that she wasn't enough of a support. The only person who could've made the scientist feel better and calmer… couldn't be there at the moment. She could only hope that for now she'd manage to protect his little family for him.

* * *

Without a single word of warning a pitch black bag was pulled over Spencer's head, sealing the rest of the world effectively from sight. His heart raced and cold sweat lingered on his skin while he waited tensely, tried to listen. He heard steps, three people entering the room.

And then a needle pierced his skin.

He struggled, of course. Like any sane person would. But the dosage they gave him was stronger than his natural instincts. The part of him that still remained aware and alert shuddered with chilling realization when a much too familiar dull hue began to take over his brain. It wasn't enough to send him into oblivion but it certainly rendered him rather immobile. The perfect amount.

"Feels familiar, doesn't it?" Erica noted snidely. "According to the hospital documents my father had there was a large dosage of Dilaudid in your bloodstream when you were rescued from Tobias Hankel. I thought I should try the same."

Spencer wanted to cry, wanted to scream and rant and _fight _with all there was in him. But the drug… It was too much. The dullness that once upon a time brought comfort now felt more like a prison.

He was grabbed roughly and dragged on. He didn't know how long. He lost track after thirty seconds.

Then, once more without a warning, the hood was removed. Exposing his eyes to a blinding white light. He groaned because screaming was out of the question and attempted to close his eyes but couldn't.

Was he… dead? Did his heart give out? Because this unnatural whiteness…

But then his eyes began to adjust and he came to the sullen conclusion that he was nowhere near heaven. Quite the opposite. He was in a brand new laboratory, with three men standing by and Erica right in front of him. From behind a breeze of uncomfortably cool air brushed him. And all of a sudden his foggy, doped head began to catch on.

Erica's smile was ice. "I have a feeling that you may guess what's up ahead, even in that pathetic condition. But the thing is… You have the chance to avoid it." She leaned closer. "Give in to the drug, Spencer, and speak out. Then you won't have to face it."

Even without Dilaudid affecting his head Spencer's analytical mind would've concluded that giving her what she wanted to know would've been the smartest move. But the consequences… He didn't think that he would've been able to live with them, anyway. So he lifted his chin valiantly, squeezing his lips together tightly.

"Where… is… you… mother?"

The drug gave Spencer the courage to do what he would've never done with a clear head. He spat, from the bottom of his heart and soul. Seeing the expression that flashed on Erica's face was almost worth enduring what was to come.

"Fine", Erica sneered, her eyes flashing hazardously. "Since you fail to see what's good for you… Drop him!"

And Spencer fell. Or actually, it felt more like flying. Until he landed into what seemed like a ocean of ice cold water.

The sheer cold took away his breath instantly. His lungs screamed while he struggled with all his might, desperately attempting to free his hands and legs. But the restraints held. And the water around him… Was it actually getting colder by the second? It was like someone had been carving his flesh with shards of glass.

He was pulled back up so unexpectedly that he yelped, wasting a golden opportunity for a nice, good breath.

"Once more." Erica's voice sounded unnaturally loud to his ears. "Where is your mother?"

Still stubborn to the core of his being Spencer kept his quiet. He flew again. Crashlanded to ice again.

The water began to dull his senses and although he knew that he should've been alarmed he welcomed it. Anything was better than the agonizing cold taking over all of him. Flashes flew through his head. Faces.

His mother. His team – his second family. Maeve.

Until even they didn't matter. Until he slipped into some place deep within where nothing mattered anymore. Even breathing.

He was pulled up again. This time he barely heard Erica's voice as she snarled out her demand. Her face seemed awfully blurry to him.

He flew. Sank. Became pulled back up again. The cycle repeated endlessly, to a point where he couldn't tell the difference of being up and down anymore. By the time he closed his eyes a blanket of warmth wrapped around him.

He landed softly into a ocean of pure white light.

* * *

Waiting was the absolutely worst part of all and the remaining team did whatever they could to make it through the endless minutes. Almost as soon as JJ had vanished to one of the apartment's small bedrooms with Maeve Aaron and David retreated for a talk. Which left just Derek and Penelope.

Penelope managed to keep up a stunningly brave face for a while. But then, inevitably, the act crumbled. Once one tear had rolled more weren't far behind. And in the end she broke down to quiet yet heartbreaking sobs.

Derek's heart shattered at the sight. "Hey…!" he soothed, then took a step closed and sealed her into a firm embrace. "Stop that, right now. This wasn't your fault, do you hear me? None of this."

Penelope attempted to speak but for a long time all that came out was all sobs. "I… The bureau… They wouldn't have been able to destroy it without my help. I almost…! And Reid…!" She wiped her eyes although more moisture appeared immediately. "I… I swear that I never…!"

Derek smiled just a little bit although it was hard. On the spur of the moment he guided them so that they were sitting on the couch. "I know, baby girl. That big heart of yours… It'd never allow you to hurt someone."

There was a long moment of surprisingly peaceful, perhaps exhausted silence. Penelope's voice was so quiet that he barely heard when she spoke. "Do you think we'll get him back this time?"

Derek gritted his teeth. Tried to find the faith from his heart. "Of course we will. Maeve would kill him herself if he'd try to leave her now."

He may have dozed off for a bit, or perhaps he just got lost into his thoughts. When he finally came back to himself an hour had passed by. Penelope was working furiously on her laptop, very familiar determination on her face. That was until something on the TV nearby caught her attention and she gasped.

Derek frowned, his protective instincts activating instantly. "Garcia? What is it?"

"This… This is horrible", Penelope admitted. Her voice broke although there was astonishment and maybe even a touch of joy in her eyes. "And… I'll never forgive myself for what I've done in the middle of all this. Or what happened to Reid because of me. But…" She nodded towards the TV someone had turned on at some point. A news broadcast seemed to be on. "We're not in this alone."

Curiosity took over despite all else and Derek turned his head. It took him a while to process what, exactly, was happening on the TV-screen. When it finally sunk in his eyes widened.

There, right outside the building they just lost Spencer into, was a constantly growing amount of people. Protesters. They were all screaming in almost perfect unison, demands for justice and peace filling the air. The crowd wasn't even nearly large enough in number to make any actual difference but too large to be just wiped out without a care.

Derek blinked twice. "Are those… the Others?" Was there going to be another battle, with Spencer inside?

Penelope nodded. "Some. There's a lot of humans, too."

For a few moments Derek was stunned into silence. His voice wasn't as strong as usual when he finally found it. "How did they know to go there?"

"I… may have helped them out a bit. The miracles of social media." Penelope's eyes were moist but full of determination when he met them. "We… We're not the only ones scared and hurting, Morgan. This isn't just out battle. One day soon this whole nightmare will be over and we'll be safe. All of us, Reid included."

Derek's eyes were solemn while he focused on the news once more. Memories of all the horrors he'd seen, of how very close to death Spencer came the previous time, flooded into his head. Something inside him turned unbearably cold. "I really hope that you're right."

* * *

From inside the government building Erica Leonor observed the sight down below, her nose wrinkled with distaste.

_Fools, all of them_, she thought to herself.

Taking a deep sight that didn't succeed in helping with her fried nerves at all she glanced downwards at her left hand. The distaste from before turned into very much open disgust. The limb was still trembling.

Erica was about to head for the secret stash in the upper drawer of her desk. That was until she realized that she was no longer alone. Her eyes narrowed. "You should know better than to sneak up on a armed person", she pointed out sharply. She did her best to hide her unsteady hand without making it too obvious. "It was quite a shot, the one you took. He went down in a flash, without even getting the chance to see you properly."

She turned her gaze to meet Alex Blake. There was a storm in the older woman's eyes and a throughoutly torn look on her pale face. "I held my end of the bargain." It was spat out like the most bitter of all poisons. "Now I'm expecting you to hold yours. Where is my son?"

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Yeeeeeeah, stalling is rude but cliffies aren't…?

Okay, hold on a sec. So BLAKE of all people was the one who shot Reid – and her son's alive?! And wait, wait, wait… Did… Reid… just…? (gulps)

I've really gotta get going now. Please, do leave a note to let me know your thoughts! Do try to control the urge to strangle me, though, yeah?

Until next time! I really hope that I'll see you all there.

Take care!


	6. Of Darkness and Light

A/N: I'm back with the newest chapter! (grins) But first…

THANK YOU, so very much, for your reviews and love for this story! (HUGS) I truly hope that you'll enjoy the ride to come as much as you seem to have enjoyed the road thus far.

Awkay, before I get all sappy… LET'S GO! Have fun?

* * *

Of Darkness and Light

* * *

Maeve gasped loudly when she woke up and bounced to a sitting position, cold sweat gluing her clothes to her skin. She would've screamed if she'd had enough breath for such. As it was all she could do was pant helplessly.

The dream… Of ice, terror and pain… It felt so real…!

She'd just managed to catch her breath when the room's door opened and JJ came in, carrying what looked like a breakfast. The agent appeared very tired and worried but still smiled at the sight of her awake. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Better." And it was the honest truth. Her stomach didn't feel content yet but the pain wasn't the sharp and piercing kind anymore. Surely it had to be a good sign. She thanked the other for the food, then frowned at how quiet the apartment was. "Where are the others?"

JJ's face appeared a touch tighter than before. "Don't worry about that now", the blonde adviced, then switched topics quickly. "So… Multiples, huh?"

Maeve nodded slowly. Her hand was tender and protective when she lay it to her abdomen, without realizing it trying to feel the lives within although it was much too early. "Spence… He revealed that, before…" Her voice broke and in a flash all words vanished. Her eyes grew misty and it took a while before she understood why.

"Hey." JJ took her hand and squeezed comfortingly. There was, however, some sadness on the agent's face. "We'll get him back. He'll be safe."

Maeve nodded, trying to find comfort from those words. She took a deep breath although it sounded too loud. "So will Henry. And Will."

JJ sighed. Her shoulders relaxed just a little bit. Her eyes were just as watery as Maeve's own. "I really hope so."

A silence full of understanding lingered while they both took some tea and drank slowly. Dreaming of a future where their loved ones would be safe and sound. Where there was no war raging outside.

* * *

Spencer opened his eyes. Simple as that. It took entirely too long before he truly comprehended what he was seeing. The realization made him blink with surprise.

It wasn't a laboratory. There was no Erica Leonor or her father. In fact the place he stared at wasn't anything that he would've seen before.

He seemed to be sitting on top of a cliff, staring at a valley spreading down below. It was stunningly beautiful. There was green and flowers everywhere. And further ahead spread an ocean, sparkling like a field of diamonds and continuing beyond his wildest imagination. In the horizon the sun was setting, painting the cloudless sky with a stunning display of colors. The air that caressed him was comfortably warm, carried the scent of roses and lilies.

The most amazing thing, however, was what happened inside him. Gone were the horrors that he endured before the blinding white came. In fact, it was very hard for him to focus on anything that happened… before. There was no pain, fear or coldness where he now sat. Only peace. Like he was exactly where he belonged.

Spencer didn't know where he was but he found himself unwilling to imagine leaving.

Apparently he wasn't alone. Because all of a sudden a very familiar voice managed to startle him out of the tranquil hue. "Oh, sweetie… This isn't your place. Not yet."

Spencer turned his head slowly to meet his mother's face. Even in that surreal situation, knowing full well that he was staring at nothing but an image projected by her mind, he felt a hint of discomfort. The previous time they met they didn't exactly part on the best of terms. There was still awfully lot they would've needed to talk about, to sort out.

His mother shook her head. There was a unreadable look in her eyes. "Not here, Spencer. This isn't the time or place." She approached. "But now… Would you mind terribly if I keep you company for a while?"

Sure, they were at odds. But she was his mother, the person who'd done so much for him and he looked after in return. He didn't have the heart to refuse her. And to be honest it felt comforting to not be alone in this strange reality. So he nodded, not quite knowing what to say.

And so they sat there, side by side, neither feeling the need to say anything for a while.

* * *

/ _They were gruelling and painful eighteen hours of labor. While minutes dragged by Alex Blake lost count on how many times she almost gave up. Or how many times she cursed her husband, with a quite colorful and vulgar vocabulary, for forcing her to go through it. But then her son was handed into her arms. And the moment she looked into those unnaturally blue eyes she knew that she loved him more than she'd ever love anything or anyone._

_Through her tears, through the still pulsating pain, she smiled. "Oh, honey… You're perfect."_ /

* * *

Alex's heart hammered while a elevator took her closer to the most precious thing she'd ever had. Towards something she'd imagined lost. Her hands shook and breathing was a lot harder than it was supposed to be.

What she did to be granted this… She'd never forgive herself. She'd never forget the look on Spencer's face when he fell down from the dart she shot. But she'd been offered a second chance after burying her son. What kind of a mother wouldn't have taken it?

"Why did you decide to tell me that he's alive?" she growled. Her eyes swept briefly towards her companion but she couldn't bring herself to look for long. "Why now, after all this time?"

Dr. Erica Leonor shrugged. There wasn't a trace of emotion in the woman's eyes. "Because I needed your… services and this was the only way to ensure your co-operation." The scientist sighed. "I can't imagine why you're so attached to that thing."

Alex's eyes flashed while she saw red. "That _thing_…", she growled. "… is my _son_."

Erica watched her for a moment but didn't comment. From there it was silent for a long time, with both of them deep in thought. Without noticing it Alex began to fiddle with the wooden pendant around her neck, her fingers caressing the picture engraved to it.

* * *

/ _As years passed by Ethan grew up to be a astonishingly intelligent, curious and kind little boy. Unlike Alex expected the impossibly blue color of his eyes didn't fade over time. Instead it grew deeper, became such that scared some people. To her he was the most beautiful child she'd ever laid her eyes on._

_One day when Alex came home a already seven-years-old Ethan ran to her, those baffling eyes shining with unimaginable excitement. He seemed ready to burst with joy. "Happy birthday, mommy!"_

_Alex chuckled, kissing the top of his head. "Well thank you, sweetie. Now, I think we have a cake to cut."_

_Ethan nodded eagerly. "But first… I made you a present, at school."_

_Alex blinked twice, then smiled. "You didn't have to…" All words died into her throat when she saw the gift._

_It was a oval shaped wooden pendant that had a rose engraved to it. At first it appeared beautiful but nothing exceptional. Until she pressed the correct spot and the pendant opened. It unfolded to the shape of a butterly._

_No child at the age of seven should've been able to make such._

_Ethan frowned, disappointment appearing to his face. "Mommy? Don't you like butterflies?"_

_It took a touch too long before Alex managed to smile and grab him into a tight hug. "I love it, honey. It's perfect." Still she held him a bit too tightly, a part of her sensing the threat. _/

* * *

Erica didn't attempt to speak, which was a very smart move. Alex didn't think that she would've reacted well to hollow attempts of small talk. It seemed to take a year before there was a bing that announced they'd reached their destination. Even longer was the wait for the doors to open.

Alex's legs were dangerously unsteady when she stepped out and froze. There was a massive, heavily guarded metallic door in front of her. Exactly nine steps away. Then a crystal clear memory of Ethan's laughter echoed in her head and she pushed herself forth.

Until Erica spoke. "Agent Blake." The voice was full of something she couldn't recognize. "The being in that room… I don't know what you imagine to find. But don't say that I didn't warn you."

Alex's eyes narrowed. She couldn't even look towards the scientist. "I'm not afraid of my own son", she hissed.

"That creature isn't your son, not anymore."

Alex tried not to listen. Her feet certainly seemed to have a mind of their own. As though sleepwalking she kept moving on, barely noticed the guards that opened the doors when Erica gave them a sign. The screech the doors made upon opening was deafening. The shockwave it brought was, however, nothing compared to what took over her when the sight inside met her.

All of Alex stilled and for a second or two her heart stopped while tears filled her eyes.

* * *

/ _The epilectic seizures began when Ethan was eight. As did the crushing headaches and nightmares that made the little boy scream like a wild animal. The doctors were absolutely clueless, only muttered something about a neurological disease, and Alex was horrified. She didn't, however, know true fear until she came home a month after his ninth birthday. There he lay on the floor, seizing and gasping. Barely breathing, a glazed over look in his eyes. His skin was vividly blue._

_"ETHAN!"_ /

* * *

There, in a laboratory that a small bed, a chess board and books were supposed to make a young adult's room, sat a bald eighteen year old with radiantly blue skin. Bizarre, chillingly beautiful patterns traveled underneath his nearly transparent skin. Upon first glance she didn't believe that she was looking at a human being at all. But then she saw those astonishingly blue eyes, which were currently intently focused on some sort of a chemical mixture. And the mother in her _knew_.

The intensity of the emotions that came over her nearly swept Alex off her feet. She did wobble while one unsteady hand clasped to her lips. The tears fell as she whispered the only thought that existed in her head. "Ethan…!"

That sound finally made him aware of her presence. His head snapped up and his gaze was sharp upon clashing with hers. Sharp, but not hostile. They stared at each other for the longest time, through a infinity of stilled seconds and trying to swim through all the years they'd lost. "Do I… know you?" he inquired in the end, his voice echoing rather in her head than in the room.

* * *

/ _"Mr. Blake?"_

_James Blake's eyes snapped towards the kind eyed, young doctor. For a moment he attempted to draw comfort from her presence but at the moment nothing such existed. He swallowed against the bitter taste in his mouth and focused on his son once more. "So… He's dying?"_

_The doctor sighed. "We… don't know what, exactly, is happening to him." She gave him a evaluating glance. "But his vitals, organs and his very body… What's becoming of him isn't human. It won't be your son. If he even survives the transformation."_

_James stared his little boy who withered and trembled in his bed. Silvery tears running down his cheeks, fever and something beyond ravishing his small frame. Clearly under agony that James couldn't even imagine. His heart shattered in his chest but the words came out strong. "Take him."_

_"Would you like me to inform your wife?"_

_James gritted his teeth. Fighting back the tears was one of the hardest battles in his life. "No", he muttered. "I'll tell her."_

_Half an hour later, while holding Alex's crying and crumbling body in his arms after telling her that their son was dead, James tried to convince himself that he did the right thing. That he hadn't lied, not really. Their little boy was gone, anyway. _/

* * *

It was very calm and peaceful in the world inside Spencer's head. He sighed, watching how in the horizon the sun continued to set. It would've been so tempting to close his eyes and just sleep, at least for a little while.

"Spencer, don't." His mother's hand grabbed his, anchoring his mind to the present. There was something beyond terror in her eyes. "You know what'll happen if you do. And surely you know better than to let go now."

Spencer swallowed. His eyes strayed downwards, ashamed. "I'm… just tired."

"I know, sweetie. There's been too much terror, pain, grief and heartache." The tone was tender but firm. "Maeve is tired, too. But she's holding on with with absolutely all there's in her. For you and the twins."

Those words made something inside Spencer shudder. All of a sudden the dull hue that'd been taking over him wasn't so tempting anymore. Cold that he hadn't noticed before began to creep in. "She'll be a great mother."

"And you'll be a great father", his mother assured him, her voice full of emotion that she didn't even try to mask. "So you can't stay here. Not like this. You need to keep fighting, just a little bit longer."

Spencer swallowed. The cold from before was intensifying. "What if I can't?"

Diana smiled, even if there was a hint of sadness behind it. "Do you remember what I told you? What made me choose the path that I did? It was your brother. And you." She looked away, the memories darkening her eyes. "When I was saved from that hellhole and the birth began three weeks too soon… And when they gave him to my arms, already dead… I thought that I wouldn't be able to go on for even a second. I swear that I lost my breath, right there, because the pain was so great. But then, twenty minutes later, you came. Screaming at the top of your lungs, very much alive. And I knew." She looked directly into his eyes and he didn't think that he'd ever seen anyone feel so much all at once. "The moment I looked at you and saw what kind of a fighter you were… I made myself a promise that I'd never, ever even think about giving up and letting go anymore. And that I'd never let you do so, either. Because you were born a warrior, Spencer. And no matter how dark and horrifying this world may become… You're the one thing that keeps me hanging on, that guides me back to light whenever I'm lost. So don't you dare leave me now, do you hear me?" There were genuine tears in her eyes. "Because to me you're the one thing that makes this world worth fighting for. I need you. So do your little ones and Maeve. Even your team."

Spencer swallowed loudly. This time it wasn't memories that filled his head. It was flashes of a future he'd never dared to even dream of.

His wedding with Maeve, his whole family there, together. Their twins, happy and growing up in safety. Maeve and he growing old together in a place that was far away from the madness that'd taken over the real life.

They'd been through so much to find each other, over and over again – he couldn't just give up and let it all go like this.

He looked towards his mother. This time there was new kind of fear in his heart. The cold… It was suffocating. "How… do I find my way back?"

His mother smiled once again, squeezing his hand tightly. "Don't worry, honey. This time I'll be the one to guide the way."

* * *

In a car that was approaching but still hopelessly far away Diana Reid refused to open her eyes when she came back to herself. She wiped her cheeks, much too aware that more moisture came immediately, and emitted a shuddering breath. Her heart was thudding so hard that she feared it might break.

"What happened?" Jason Gideon demanded from the driver's seat, his voice so tight that his throat had to hurt.

Right there Diana did something she hadn't expected. She smiled through the still rolling tears. "I… guided him back. He's still alive."

She couldn't see it, of course, but even without using her abilities she felt the tremor of relief that swept through Jason. He added speed to a point where it was dangerous. "Then let's hurry up. We'd better not fail him again."

* * *

Against all expectations, unlike he'd perhaps dared to hope, Spencer actually did manage to open his eyes. At first there was a lot of blur in his vision, shapes that didn't make any sense. Little by little the world around him began to settle.

There was a hard, uncomfortably cold floor underneath him. Or actually, he was feeling incredibly cold all over. He coughed and shivered, attempting to shift to a more comfortable position. His efforts were rewarded with a violent stab of pain that exploded from his side and spread mercilessly throughout his whole being. He gasped, then fell into a coughing spell that brought some moisture to his still bleary eyes.

A broken rib, maybe even several, his very slowly clearing head supplied. So they'd… resuscitated him? Yes, and harshly. His chest hurt a lot as well. Every new cough felt like he'd been torn to pieces. The gnawing cold was, however, the worst part. It didn't help at all that he had only a wet t-shirt and equally drenched pants on him.

He'd have to get out fast, or at least he'd have to move.

Taking a deep breath that his injuries and lungs didn't seem to appreciate at all Spencer shook his head to wake up properly, then looked around. What he discovered certainly didn't help him feel any better. He swallowed, a touch of panic flowing through.

Was he… inside a well? The round shaped, seemingly endlessly tall space he was trapped in certainly looked like one. He couldn't see a door. Or any sort of a window. Only darkness that was eased a little by the flashlight that'd been tossed down there with him. The only sound he could hear was his own unnervingly loud breathing.

Spencer shuddered and this time it didn't have anything to do with the cold.

"Hello?" There was, of course, no answer. It didn't keep him from wishing for one. "Is… Is anyone out there?"

Another fit of coughs tore through Spencer, rendering him speechless and breathless from sheer pain. He slumped back to the floor, no longer able to support his own weight. Once more he looked up, as though hoping that the desolate sight would change somehow. It didn't. There was no added light. No one came.

There, on the floor with only his wheezing breath keeping him company and feeling like he'd been frozen to death, horrible questions filled Spencer.

Was he… dead, after all? And even if he wasn't… How much longer would he survive, forgotten into his hollow tomb?

"Is anyone out there?"

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Okay, woah… Poor, poor Reid! Such a nightmare he's in. (winces) But what are the team and Diana planning? Will they be able to save him – and themselves?

PLEASE, do leave a note to let me hear your thoughts!

Until next time, folks! I really hope that you'll all stick around for that one.

Take care!

* * *

**Violet**: There's quite a bit of dark stuff going on, no? (shivers) Let's hope that they all make it through this in one piece.

Awww, no worries. There'll be LOTS of more stories for those two shows coming! (grins) It warms my heart that you'd be so happy to read more.

Huge thank yous for the review!


	7. About Face

A/N: Phew! The update day is finally here.

Before letting you get to the actual business, though… Huge thank yous for all those reviews and listings this story's received! It's super good to know that you're all out there. Lots of hugs to you all!

Awkay, because I'm fairly sure that you all want to know what happens next… Let's go! Hopefully you'll have a good ride.

* * *

About Face

* * *

With the suspiciously extensive knowledge Emily seemed to have on the horrible building that trapped Spencer it was almost scarily easy for the group to sneak in. Making Penelope their designed driver was a mutual decision. They managed to save her once and they didn't trust their luck enough to try a second time, especially when she was still recovering. Derek wasn't in a much better condition and they would've been more than happy to keep him out as well but he refused. They didn't see any point in pushing him when they knew that he'd just sneak after them on his own if they tried to force him.

Less than three minutes in they'd been forced to avoid five guards. They were still trying to catch their breaths in a safe corner when Emily's hushed, tense voice sounded. "I… There's something I need to ask you. It's dangerous and maybe stupid, but… I can't leave this place today without at least trying."

The rest of them tensed up, knowing to expect something far from pleasant. "Look, Prentiss…", Derek sighed exasperatedly. "We're here to save Reid. Alright? When we have him we leave and never look back."

"He isn't the only one of my kind trapped here." There was something quite close to fear in Emily's raging eyes. She went on before anyone could voice objections. "They… They've been hunting us for years. Decades. And… Some of the captured haven't been killed." She blinked quickly, twice. "They're here. Imprisoned. Experimented on. Tortured."

There was a long, shocked and loaded silence. "Prentiss… I understand that you want to help them. But… There's only four of us." There was a look of genuine sympathy in David's eyes. "Saving Reid… Even that's going to be a dangerous and far fetched shot. Trying to set free who knows how many others…"

"You don't understand." Emily sounded persistent, desperate even. "What… What's going to happen to this building… I can't leave them here. I refuse to sacrifice all those innocent ones that have been locked up here."

It took longer than it should've. But it sunk in, hard. Aaron swallowed, his throat feeling painfully dry, before he dared to speak. "Prentiss… Is this building the next target of the Others?"

Emily didn't speak. She didn't have to. Her eyes gave all the answers they needed. All of a sudden the air around them was unbearably cold. "Shit…!" David hissed.

So… They were trapped into a building that was about to explode? They, and hundrets of other people? Perhaps those people weren't the best of men and women, but to be wiped out like that…

And the awful trail of thought went further from there. All of a sudden Diana Reid's telepathy and Penelope's naïve attempts to help weren't the only possible ways how the Others managed to conduct a devastating attack against the bureau. They had help.

Derek blew up entirely. Rage flickered hard and heavy in the man's eyes while he hissed as loudly as he possibly could with all the guards possibly nearby. "What… What THE HELL do you think you're doing?! Prentiss, there are people in here! Actual living people…!"

Emily's eyes weren't those they knew, once. She lifted her chin a little, all the walls they managed to bring down somewhere in a previous life firmly back up. "Do you think that they care a lot about the lives of my kind?"

"You have no right to kill them!" Derek felt sick to his stomach and dizzy. Was this really the same woman he joked with once? The one he tried to flirt with, even if only for a moment? "You have no right to orchestrate a massacre…!"

Emily's eyes flashed. "I wasn't alone in making that decision. Ever. And it's far too late to stop it now, anyway. As it is all you can decide is whether you want to help me save as many lives as possible."

"I'll go with you." Aaron's voice was barely recognizeable. A sharp look was cast towards Derek and David. "Find Reid. We'll get out of here as fast as possible."

Derek didn't like the idea of letting the unit chief go alone with a woman that was once a member of their family, a comrade, equal. But there was no time for arguing. So he nodded stiffly and tried not to look back while hurrying on with David. Only one bitter thought echoed in his head.

_This nightmare isn't going to end, is it?_

* * *

Although he did his best to avoid going under Spencer must've passed out at some point. Because all of a sudden his eyes flew open and his body woke up to a fully alerted state. He was still in a great deal of pain, far from well, but his instincts were sharp and very much active.

He knew that he wasn't alone in the dark anymore.

It did his laboured breathing no favors but Spencer twisted his body, unable to fight back a wince at how much even the simple movement hurt. It took a mighty while before his vision cleared enough to truly distinguish the figure looming in the shadows. He frowned.

"Who are you?" It was barely audible. Didn't sound like his voice.

His companion didn't speak. Not that he would've particularly expected such. With alarming certainty Spencer could feel eyes on him before the stranger finally moved. Began to approach him with slow, taunting steps.

A not exactly quiet voice in Spencer's head was howling at him that he was in a very deep trouble. Struggling to control the emotional turmoil within he forced himself up although his feet barely carried him. He wasn't planning on facing this person so that he was already down.

"Who are you?" he demanded again, surprised that somehow his voice managed to sound even.

Well, he finally received a response. There was a rough, loud chuckle before a distinctly familiar voice spoke. "I… am the last resort of these pathetic creatures that think they run the universe. They still imagine that they're in control. Adorable, really." By then the other was unnervingly close yet still quite well hidden by shadows and a hood. "I am the chaos that they're so very afraid of yet can't do without."

They were only a breath away yet somehow the stranger's face remained hidden. His companion was so close that they felt each other's breaths. A large, very solid hand was pressed against Spencer's unevenly moving chest.

Spencer's eyes widened. In that very moment understanding began to dawn, with such force that it nearly swept him off his feet. "You're… one of the Others?"

He barely got that last syllable out before the pain began.

* * *

JJ would've wanted to join the rest of the team, desperately. Spencer was like a brother to her and there were so many things that she would've wanted to talk with him about. Such as his secret, Henry… But most of all she just wanted him safe and sound, back with his family. Yet she also understood that someone had to be there with Maeve. Spencer most definitely wanted them to look after the love of his life, especially when she was carrying his twins.

In the end she found herself watching the news with Maeve, fearing a word of a devastating attack directed at a government base. Nothing such came. JJ almost imagined that perhaps there was nothing to worry about, after all. But then she heard the steps approaching the apartment, followed by the door opening. The two of them exchanged sharp looks before Maeve braced herself and JJ pulled out her gun, beginning to move forward soundlessly.

She found the intruder stunningly quickly. She'd already aimed her gun before she recognized the man that'd dyed his hair black. Her eyes widened. "Will?"

* * *

/ _"Daddy?" a four-year-old Erica Leonor asked her father, once. She tilted her head, watching with a great deal of curiosity how he mixed a green liquid with a red one. The final product looked beautiful. "What are you doing?"_

_Her father's eyes became dark, right then. She didn't like the look on his face. "I'm fighting monsters, sweetie. No shush, daddy's trying to work."_

_Erica was much too excited to obey. She frowned. "Monsters? What do they look like?"_

_A child of her age couldn't possibly understand what crossed his face. "Just like us. That's why they're so dangerous."_

_Erica's frown deepened with confusion. "But, if they look like us… Then how do you know when you've found one?"_ /

* * *

The second Erica heard that the base had been breached she knew exactly what was going on. Her eyes hardened while she shot a sharp look at five of her men. "Let's go. I know where this attack will be directed."

It was the cure, the one she and her father had spent years developing. All that hard work… She wasn't about to let that go to waste.

Almost out of the room, Erica was genuinely startled by the voice echoing in her head. '_The cure, Erica? Surely you don't really think that it's the only thing you have I consider valuable?_'

Erica growled quietly as her eyes narrowed. Ignoring her companions' worried looks she sent a sharp thought in return, hoping that it hurt. '_Then where are you?_'

'_Don't worry, I'll see you soon._'

By then her group had reached the elevator. One of the men frowned as she pushed a different button from what she'd originally had in mind. "Basement floor? But… There isn't anything except…"

"Trust me", she barked in a voice that left no room for objections.

The ride seemed to take ages. Erica dashed out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Too late to realize that she was the only one moving. The men that'd been following her stood perfectly still, frozen like stone.

Erica shivered. It was one of those very few times in her life when she felt fear. "Shit…!"

"Hello, Erica." This time the voice came from directly at her right. "You can't even imagine how I've been looking forward to this."

Erica spun around to meet the unreadable face of Diana Reid.

Diana smiled sweetly. The woman's eyes were, however, those of a killer. "I heard that you've been looking for me. Well…" She spread her arms wide mockingly. "Here I am."

* * *

Aaron had always been very good at hiding his emotions. It was either a mighty asset or a character flaw, depending on who was asked. But there, while rushing towards the laboratories with Emily, he had hard time keeping his famous poker face in check.

'_How can none of this get to you?_' JJ asked her once.

Back then Aaron was, in the end, convinced that Emily was merely a exceptionally good agent. Now… Now he wasn't entirely sure what she was.

He found it hard to associate the word 'murderer' with her face.

His attention was barely there when Emily took the form of a soldier, managing to grant them an access to the laboratories with announcing him as a captured enemy. To his great stun the lie actually worked.

Once they were in the elevator Emily sighed. She cast a sideways look towards him. "Hotch…"

He shook his head firmly. Gritted his teeth before daring to speak. "Now's not the time."

"I know." She was still looking at him although he refused to meet her gaze. "I… just wanted to say thank you."

Aaron didn't speak. What was he supposed to say to that? A heavy silence fell.

It seemed to take ages before the elevator finally reached its destination. With a aura of confidence lingering on her Emily led the way to a door that'd been locked with a security code. She tapped in a series of numbers and the door slid open with a sigh. The sight inside made Aaron freeze dead on his tracks and lose his composure for a second. Beside him Emily stiffened, clearly using a lot of willpower to control herself.

Dead and dying Others… Children, pregnant women… All that crying and blood…

All of a sudden he found it just a little bit easier to understand.

They were both so worked up that they didn't hear the approaching steps. Didn't sense the presence, either. Not until a voice spoke. "May I help you two with that?"

* * *

The pain that came from several of his bones being squeezed, cracking and some of them breaking blinded Spencer. He knew that he screamed, long and hard enough for his throat to become sore, but the actual sound didn't register. In a flash the sheer agony pushed his body into a state of shock and he slumped down, which succeeded in worsening the torment.

His ribs, his sternum…

It was almost impossible to breathe and if he hadn't known that it was acutely necessary he would've deemed it not worth the effort. He groaned, attempted to move, but despite all his stubbornness didn't make it far.

His torturer chuckled. "Well how about that… They did say that you're a resilient little nuisance. But don't worry, I'm used to those."

The hand was pressed against Spencer's left leg before he could dodge it. He kicked furiously, even hit something, but it only stalled the inevitable by seconds. There was a low, furious growl.

"Now you're really pushing it…!"

The hand pressed harder and instantly there was pressure on the bone underneath it. Spencer groaned and tried to kick again but his body was in no condition to allow such. The searing agony grew worse and worse until there was a loud, sickening cracking sound when the leg broke. Once, twice. It didn't really hit him for a while. And when it did the sea of pain swallowed Spencer down entirely.

Spencer screamed like a wild animal, all of the torment his body and mind were going through somehow transforming into the kind of a sound that shouldn't have come from a human being. Producing something so intense tore him free from physical sensations for a fleeting moment of bliss. So he shrieked again and again, until there was barely any voice left.

"So… There." His captor sounded very pleased with himself. "You won't be running away, now. And your wings are still useless. It looks like we can finally have some proper quality time together."

Spencer gasped hard, trying to will himself out of his body. Trying to find something, anything, to anchor himself on instead of… "Why… Why do you work for them?" he gasped out. Like it would've actually mattered to him at the moment. Like he would've even cared. "Why… should they… trust you?"

His companion shrugged. "Simple, really. They _don't_ trust me. Why should they?" The other leaned closer once more, which couldn't be a good sign. "As for me… I honestly don't care about either side enough to fight for them. I'll work for the one who pays me the best."

Spencer swallowed loudly. Attempted to push back the waves of nausea and dizziness. "Pay… you?"

His tormentor groaned, beginning to sound very impatient. "You're asking far too many questions, did you know that? Surely you wouldn't want me to do something about it." A knife shone brightly in the room's barely existent light.

Despite the agony and shock he was in Spencer understood his situation. He gritted his teeth, trying to come up with a way out. Desperately clinging to whatever hope he still had left.

The resolve was tested soon. Hands landed on his cheeks. "Now… Let me see that pretty face of yours."

It was then the hood shifted, not much but enough to reveal the stranger's face. Spencer's pained, hazy eyes widened when understanding flowed through like ice. And then, just as his mouth opened, the agony came once more.

* * *

Derek and David were already close, less than twenty steps away. They both frowned as their eyes scanned through the long, shadowy hallway and its seemingly plain stone walls. There were no doors or windows in sight.

Derek shifted with discomfort. A very, very dark feeling was swelling in the pit of his stomach. "What…?"

David interrupted him with a shake of head, bringing a finger to his lips.

For a second or two it was completely silent. Then, so unexpectedly that Derek had no time to prepare himself, they heard the scream. A nearly animalistic shriek of sheer agony. It took a while before they recognized the voice and it sunk in like a pile of bricks.

Derek gasped, his body feeling unbearably cold all over. And right there he forgot all healthy caution. "REID!"

David growled, casting a look of warning his way. "Quiet!" the older man hissed, his own face pale and full of sorrow. The warning came hopelessly too late.

They heard steps. Several set of them. Then the sounds of guns being prepared just as they grabbed their own.

In a few moments gunshots echoed in the hallway, resonating with another gruesome scream.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Soooo, we're closing in on the end of this story. How will everything turn out for our favorite team? Will everyone make it to safety alive?

Do leave a note before ya go. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time, folks! I really hope that you'll all join in for that one.

Take care!


	8. The Measure of a Man

A/N: I typed this chapter faster than I've typed ANYTHING in a very long time. As for the final result… I'll let you be the judges.

First things first, though! THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your reviews, listings and support. This part of the tale is coming to an end so it's good to know that there's so many of you marching it through with me.

Awkay, before I get all mushy… Let's rock! I truly hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

The Measure of a Man

* * *

Outside the government base the crowd of people continued to grow. Humans. The Others. All of them scared to the cores of their beings yet determined to make a change. Determined to stop the devastation while there was still some world left. Determined to create a better future from the ashes of the lives they used to know.

They stared at the building, stern looks on their faces. None of them was entirely sure of what they were supposed to do. Except for one.

Everyone else stared with quite open stun when one woman eventually separated herself from the crowd. She made her way to the front with her head held high, her red dyed, shortcut hair shining radiantly in sunlight. Despite all the attention she was getting and the armed guards keeping a close eye on her there wasn't a trace of hesitation on her face. From her brown eyes they all found what they'd been desperately looking for.

Hope.

She looked at them all. Even without a microphone her voice was as firm as thunder when she spoke. "My name is Elle Greenaway. Not too long ago I was lost, fast on my way to self destruction. Angry. Without a sense of direction. Until someone very special crossed paths with me." For a moment her eyes shimmered. She allowed a couple of tears to roll without seeming ashamed of them. "He already knew that his time was running out when we met but he never stopped hoping." She took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter if he was a human or one of the Others. What matters is what he taught me to believe."

* * *

Aaron and Emily both spun around as quickly as they could, startled by the unexpected voice. Unexpected but familiar. They found themselves face to face with Jason Gideon.

"What are you doing here?" Aaron demanded instantly.

The former BAU member took a deep breath. "The same as you. Trying to bring an end to this." He nodded towards the cubicles. "Now let's get these people out of here. We don't have a lot of time left."

They worked in utter silence, all of them focused and determined. Most of the Others they saved were weak and sick, almost too much so to be able to walk. A lot of them began to cry and scream once they realized that they were finally on the verge of freedom. They appeared throughoutly lost, overjoyed and horrified all at once. The mixture was throughoutly heartbreaking.

In front of their motley crew Aaron slipped into the role that came naturally to him. He took a deep breath and claimed leadership. "Alright, everyone. I know that you're tired but you can't rest just yet. We need to get out of here, do you understand? You'll be safe very soon but first we need to make it out."

All the rescued lost souls nodded slowly although not all of them seemed to really understand. Slowly, hesitantly, they began to follow him out. Towards a tomorrow that was far beyond uncertain.

Outside the room they faced a horrifying sight. Guards, apparently five of them, lay on the floor, all of them butchered. _Jason_, Aaron realized with chills.

Although Jason stood beside him it was hard to hear him from when one of their rescues began to scream. "They would've killed us", the man explained in a voice that held no remorse. "So save your moral arguments for some other time."

Aaron gritted his teeth and kept his silence. He didn't approve but he also knew that they indeed didn't have the time for this particular argument. Instead he chose another hot topic. "There's a bomb in this building", he stated, careful to keep his voice so low that the others wouldn't hear. "We need to stop it."

"We can't." Jason's expression was tight. "We didn't activate the bomb. A dosage of the cure did." Those eyes were full of storm when meeting his briefly. "The bomb is a living being, Aaron."

* * *

_"Every single life is valuable. Every day, every breath, is a gift. We can't waste those on this horrible, pointless bloodshedding. This world is worth so much more than that."_

* * *

Further away from the whole chaos JJ stared at Will, her eyes full of disbelief. "What… What's going on?"

"There's a way out of this, Jaye", Will announced. There was a degree of desperate hope in his eyes. "We can finally leave. Start again far away from this insanity."  
JJ's heart thumped a little too fast. That… sounded almost too good to be true. "How?"

"In an hour and a half a plane will take off, towards safety. Only few know about it." Will's face held such joy and cautious hope that it was heartbreaking. "This is our last chance. Henry's already there, waiting for us."

But JJ couldn't just… "My other family… They're still out there." Her eyes were pleading him to understand, one more time. Even though both of them had done things that the other couldn't accept. "Will, I can't leave them!"

And by some miracle Will did understand. He nodded and tried to smile although it didn't come out quite right. "Then we'll get them and leave together."

JJ knew, all too clearly, that once this was all over they'd have a ton of things to talk through. That their marriadge might not make it through this. But in that moment she leaned forward and kissed him, with absolutely all the passion there was in her.

_Thank you._

Once the kiss was over she gave him a small, secret smile. Then called out. "Maeve, let's go!"

* * *

_"There's been too much death, sadness and destruction already. We've made too many mistakes. Far too many innocent lives have been sacrificed."_

* * *

While they glared at each other Diana Reid and Erica Leonor both knew that Erica wasn't going to make it out of their meeting alive. In the end a small, ice cold grin took over Diana's face. "I may have ordered the death of your father, once. But you tried to take away my son. And for that, Erica, you will pay with your life."

At first it was like fireworks had gone off inside Erica's head. She saw radiant colors that began to blur together, shapes that didn't make any sense, heard voices that couldn't possibly exist. And then came the pain.

While Diana tore through Erica's mind, shredding it piece by piece, the scientist howled with such a sound that couldn't possibly be human. In those moments of despair her hands began to shimmer with electricity, a side of her she'd spent years upon years disguising refusing to be hidden any longer.

Diana chuckled. "Oh, Erica… You spent all your life ashamed of your mother's legacy. Refusing to be what you really were." The grip on her mind became, if possible, even stronger. "You chose to be a human. Now you'll die as one."

And with those words of verdict the last remaining pieces of Erica's mind were torn to pieces.

For a few more seconds Erica stood absolutely still, her glazed over eyes staring straight ahead, unseeing. And then she slumped down. Like a puppet that'd had its strings cut.

Diana stared at her crumbled form for a moment, as though making sure that the woman wouldn't get up again. Then she turned around and walked away with perfectly steady, confident steps. A smile lingering on her lips.

It was finally over, almost.

* * *

_"So let's bring an end to this madness. Today. Right here, right now. While we still can."_

* * *

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

The echo of gunshots felt endless and for a while Derek was sure that his heart would give out before it was over. One way or the other. Keeping his eyes open required absolutely all of his willpower.

Eventually there was only one guard left, holding a recently fired gun with a perfectly steady hand. The man lifted his head, revealing his face. And they met a steely determined William Reid. "I'm not going to just leave my son here", the man growled.

Derek didn't know what to say. In the end David spoke for him. "Thank you."

William nodded, then breathed in deep and focused once more. "There'll be more guards coming down soon. They're monitoring this floor closely. So let's hurry up."

Well, Derek and David certainly had no objections to that. Without exchanging another word they hurried on, following William who seemed to know exactly what they were looking for. There was a small, barely visible teardrop shaped picture on the wall. William flashed his keycard on it and exactly three seconds later a door came to view.

Derek blinked several times. "What…?" He closed his mouth as quickly as he opened it. The time for questions would come later. Hopefully. Now they'd have to worry about getting Spencer out of this whole mess.

In one fluid motion William fished out another keycard and ran it over the door. It began to open with a sigh. The trio wasted no time in pushing their way in. The sight that met them, however, froze them to the spot.

Spencer lay on the floor, unmoving and barely even breathing. There was a trickle of blood running from the young man's nose and it didn't require a medical doctor's degree to discover that several bones had been broken. The life was barely there.

While David remained paralyzed by shock Derek and William both dashed to the unconscious agent. William's hand shook while he caressed his son's cheek helplessly, tears filling the man's eyes. "Spencer?" There was, of course, no response. A choked sob left the father. "I… I'm here now, Spencer. So please…!"

Determined to focus on anything else for the sake of his sanity Derek checked Spencer's pulse although his own fingers were far from steady. It was frail and thready. Blinking away the tears blurring his eyes was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. "We… We have to get him out of here. Fast."

He really, really should've remembered that fate didn't tend to be at their side. Because just then several sets of steps approached and before they could do a thing four more guards stood at the doorway, staring at them.

William looked back at them with tears running down his cheeks. A prayer in his eyes. "Please…!" the father begged. "He… He's my son. So please…! Let me take him out of here."

With the heated standoff none of the participants noticed that the room's other, even more hidden door was slightly ajar. From the crack Spencer's former tormentor observed them with a clearly visible degree of amusemenet. In the end the door closed with nothing more than a sigh of air and the mysterious torturer disappeared like a fragment of a nightmare.

* * *

_"Because we're more than this. We can leave behind something better than this. Now is the time to prove it."_

* * *

Alex, who'd been looking at her son with tears shining in her eyes, felt the bottom fall from her world when all of a sudden Ethan dropped the test tube he'd been holding and slumped to the floor. Screaming from the bottom of his heart and soul, both hands pressed against his head with a desperate amount of force. The patterns on his skin were spinning madly while his blue glow kept intensifying, to a point where it was hurting her eyes.

"Ethan?" she screamed, her heart hammering madly and falling apart at the same time. _No, no, no…!_ She couldn't be losing him again. Not when she just got him back. Not like this! When he only kept screaming and rocking himself helplessly her terror grew to something beyond. She rushed over to him, crashlanding to his side with a force that hurt. She didn't even notice. "Ethan, honey, what's wrong? What's happening?"

Silvery tears were running down Ethan's face while the teenager kept rocking himself, trembling from sheer agony. "Make it stop!" the boy begged. "P… Please, make it stop…!"

That was when Alex realized that not all pain she was experiencing was caused by what happened to her son. She looked at her skin and felt ice cold chills go all the way through. There, all over her hand, radiation damage was spreading. Suddenly everything began to make sense.

The special made door of this room she'd never really registered before.

The way Erica let her in so willingly.

She was never supposed to come out alive from facing her son unprotected.

But somehow Alex found it hard to believe that even Erica would've predicted something of this magnitude. It looked like Ethan was being torn to pieces, inside out. In a few moments she understood far too clearly what was happening.

A nuclear expolosion, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Alex could've tried to run away. But she didn't. Instead she wrapped her arms around Ethan as tightly as she possibly could and closed her eyes, finding it easy to imagine the baby she once gave birth to. "It's going to be alright, sweetie", she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. "I… I know that it hurts. But it'll be okay. I promise."

Sobs and pain shook Ethan's falling apart frame. And in that moment he clung to her with the sheer power of despair. "Please don't leave me", he begged in a heartbreaking whimper.

Alex was in a tremendous amount of pain. But still, sitting there with her son she'd imagined lost in her arms, she smiled and held on tighter. "I won't", she swore.

She was never, ever leaving her child behind again.

* * *

_"Let's show those who remain after us just what our hearts were made of."_

* * *

Once she was through with the speech Elle looked at the crowd, out of breath and words. She'd given them absolutely all she could. Now… Now she could only wait.

A second passed. Then another. And the crowd exploded to the loudest cheers she'd ever heard in her life.

Elle wasn't entirely sure how long the surreal moment lasted until all of a sudden another group merged with hers, led by a face she'd imagined she'd never see again. Those people were tortured, exhausted, some of them barely able to stand. But they were still alive, finally out of the nightmare some of them had been locked into all their lives.

Elle smiled until she saw Jason's morose expression. He made his way to her and whispered into her ear so that the rest of the crowd wouldn't hear. "Elle, we need to get these people away from here. Soon this place is going to be nothing but a pile of steel, stone and ashes."

Elle shivered, feeling more than a brush of terror. Then nodded, her face grim. She refocused on the crowd. "Alright, we need to go."

Slowly and hesitantly, pained and terrified, they began to move away from the nightmarish place together. Never noticing how a lot of new people joined them on their path, even some of the soldiers and guards choosing their bizarre team.

They were quite a group, most of them with nothing but their undying hope giving them shelter. None of them was entirely sure where they were headed or what was waiting for them when they'd get there. If they were really honest with themselves they couldn't even be sure if there was a tomorrow waiting for them. All they knew was one thing, the only thing that mattered in the end.

They were marching on together.

* * *

Less than half an hour later the entire place exploded, a mushroom shaped cloud wiping away nightmares, dreams, love, hatred, life and death alike.

* * *

_"Let's prove them that we can create our own tomorrow."_

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Awkay… That was a tiny bit emotional. Soooo, the question remains. Did everyone make it out alive? Will everyone survive?

We've got only one chapter and a epilogue of this one left, folks! I know, I can't believe it, either.

I've really gotta get going now. Until next time, you all! I really hope that I'll meet you there.

Take care!

* * *

**Violet**: It's a real pleasure to hear that, ya know? (BEAMS) I really hope that you'll enjoy the remaining story just as much.

Monumental thank yous for the review!


	9. Hello, Goodbye

A/N: Yup, folks, it's Sunday which means that here I am. (grins)

Before letting you get to the chapter, though… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your fantastic reviews! You do realize that they're priceless, don't you? (hugs)

Awkay, because I don't have the heart to keep you waiting any longer… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Hello, Goodbye

* * *

From her fifteen years long career news reporter Reneé Darling couldn't remember a lot times when it would've felt like sitting in the studio on that particular day did. She was barely able to hide how her hands trembled while she looked into the camera, doing her best to keep her expression even. To grasp on just what was happening.

A government building had been destroyed. Several agents had died. But somehow something else caught the attention.

"Just hours ago a protest against the war between humans and the Others began. Since then the crowd has been growing in number. At the moment the estimated amount of protestors is somewhere between four and five hundred."

From her signal a baffling bit of footage was shown to the public. A river of people walked through the city, their tear stained faces showing nothing but steel hard determination. Each of them was holding a candle while they made their way towards those that made the important decisions. A candle along with the name of a lost loved, innocent one tattooed to the backs of their hands. The tattoo on the other hand said '_NO MORE_'.

Reneé had to compose herself for a moment. Right there she let go of her professional front. "Far too many innocent lives have been lost. Perhaps now the age of terror will finally end."

* * *

By the time JJ, Will and Maeve made it to a isolated, carefully hidden airport there was a small chaos waiting for them. Several people were running around, making sure that a jet was ready to take off. For a while JJ could only stare, unable to believe that they were really on their way to safety. That the nightmare was almost over.

All of a sudden a familiar voice met her ears. "Mommy!" Henry smiled radiantly while running towards her. "Mommy, you came!"

JJ didn't hesitate for even a second before closing her son into a firm, nearly crushing hug. Inhaling his scent. Desperately wanting to shelter him from all the horrors of the world. She didn't know if there were tears running down her cheeks nor did she care. "Of course I did, silly. I missed you. So much." She ruffled his hair. "We'll go to our new home, now. Together."

Henry blinked twice. There was a great deal of curiosity on his face. "A new home?" he inquired, accepting with childlike ease. "Where is it?"

JJ tried to grin. She feared it didn't come out right. Yes, where indeed? "I… I don't know. It's going to be a great big adventure."

Just then Maeve bolted off and it took them only seconds to figure out why. A quite familiar car that looked like it'd gone through a hurricane was parked nearby and after a few moments a group they knew very well began to emerge. Aaron jumped out first, as always, quickly followed by Derek who'd been at the back of the van with Emily. David came next, with Penelope almost right behind him. They all had grim looks on their battered faces and a lot of cuts, bruises and burn marks marring the skin they could see. One could only guess how much damage was hidden.

Maeve froze, feeling like someone had smacked her. Because one face was missing from the group. "Where's Spence?" she whispered, her voice nearly ending up being lost into the chaos.

That was when they moved just enough to allow her a proper visual to the van. Her heart ached but at least it wasn't smashed to pieces when she stared and understood. Standing up was a struggle all of a sudden. Somewhere behind her JJ gasped loudly and sobbed once but she didn't even notice.

Spencer was unconscious but alive. It was easy to see that a lot of bones had been broken and she preferred not trying to guess the extend of internal damage. Spencer's breathing sounded absolutely horrible and she wasn't even very close. So he was alive, yes, but for how long?

"We should get going", Emily announced in a tone that held far too many emotions for them all to be deciphered. "There's a medical team in our destination that knows his condition. But we need to hurry."

As though such wasn't blatantly obvious. While they rushed towards the waiting aircraft Maeve took Spencer's hand and squeezed with all her might, trying to ignore how cool his skin was against hers. _I'm here_, she wanted to say. _And you're finally out of there. So don't you dare leave me alone now._

While they were boarding the plane and a couple of people who claimed that they were medical professionals began to examine Spencer Emily pulled her to the side. There was a atypically soft look on the woman's face. "I… talked to your parents, a while back. They're safe but they miss you very, very much. They're protected."

For a moment Maeve could only stare. Then, slowly, she melted into a teary smile. "Thank you."

Aaron stood there, watching the others rushing towards the plane and feeling uncharacteristically lost. Unsure of what it was that he wanted to do. And then something told him to turn around. As soon as he did he saw Jack.

His son grinned impossibly brightly at the sight of his father. Seeing the boy's excitement Jessica, who'd been holding the child's hand, chuckled. "Didn't I tell you that your dad would be here?"

Aaron couldn't produce a sound. And fortunately it seemed that Jack wasn't expecting him to speak. Instead the boy ran to him at a speed that shouldn't have been possible and sealed him into a embrace that took his breath away. Aaron hugged back, with absolutely all his might. Determined to never let his child out of his sight again.

It took long before he managed to focus on Jessica. He swallowed hard before the words agreed to come. "Thank you."

Jessica nodded. Her eyes didn't seem entirely dry. "Take good care of him, you hear? For Haley." She then gestured towards the aircraft. "Now get going already or they'll take off without you."

Aaron nodded. His mouth opened until he realized that there was absolutely nothing he could've said. Instead he turned and began to walk on with Jack right beside him, wondering if he'd ever see Jessica or his former life again.

As soon as Aaron made it inside the door slammed closed, marking the end of one life and the beginning of another.

Considering the amount of people in the jet it was surprisingly quiet while the plane took off. Most of them looked out the windows, giving a once last glimpse to everything they were letting go. Sparing a one more thought to the people they were leaving behind.

Penelope thought about the family she still had left, even about Kevin, then wiped her eyes roughly although more tears appeared immediately.

Aaron thought about Beth, hoped that she was alright and that perhaps one day she'd be able to forgive him for leaving like this.

JJ also sent out a prayer for her remaining family members, hoping that they were safe.

Helping Maeve tend to Spencer Derek gritted his teeth hard when his thoughts strayed towards his mother and sisters. He wasn't a religious man. But he did wish, from the bottom of his heart, that one day he'd be able to hold them all in his arms once more.

The team also thought about Alex. Wondered where she was, if she'd managed to find a shimmer of hope amidst all the chaos. They wished that they wouldn't have been forced to leave her behind like this.

They thought about all those people. Then, as though out of mutual agreement, let go. Knowing that they had to do so to be able to grasp on the lives they were headed towards.

The plane disappeared into horizon, taking them towards the unknown together.

* * *

Right outside the view of anyone hovering around the jet Diana Reid opened her eyes. It took a few moments to blink away the tears gathering into them. Bizarre, how her heart could be rejoicing and tearing to pieces all at once.

"Well?" Jason demanded from her right.

"He's still fighting", she murmured. "He's safe. His other family will look after him from now on." All she could do was let him go, again. And it hurt almost more than she could take.

"We'll see him again", William, who stood on her left side, murmured. Clearly unable to tear his eyes from the jet as it took off. "Him and our grandchildren."

_I hope not_, Diana mused to herself although even thinking of it hurt. Because she knew that the time of chaos wasn't over. She'd sensed another telepath somewhere around the government building. A powerful one. Diana hadn't been able to grasp much but she'd sensed horrible cruelty, a threat. Whatever this new arrival brought along wasn't going to be good.

But now… Now wasn't the time to worry about that. Because tonight she'd grieve and pray. And at the dawn of a new morning she'd gather herself for another battle, just like she always did.

By the time she came back to the present the jet was nothing but a memory. Not bearing to look at the empty sky anymore Jason began to take his leave. The man gave William a nod. "See you, William."

William returned the gesture in kind. "See you." There was a barely noticeable motion towards her. "Take a good care of her."

Diana rolled her eyes. "I don't need anyone taking care of me. Surely you know that much."

Both men gave a secret smile. Then Jason turned, starting to walk away. Diana was about to follow until William spoke once more.

"Diana." William's eyes held something she couldn't quite read without overstepping unvoiced boundaries. "You… saved my life. If you hadn't come and distracted those guards both Spencer and I…" The man swallowed, seeming to be in a fight with himself. "I just… Thank you."

Diana understood, even without using her powers. She nodded with a small, melancholic smile. With that she turned around and began to follow Jason.

Upon leaving she felt William's eyes watching her. She responded with giving his mind a tender brush that held a million 'thank yous' and apologies all at once. She tried to tell herself that it wasn't a goodbye.

* * *

From a safe distance the person who just broke a number of Spencer's bones watched with a degree of morbid curiosity how people, humans and the Others alike, kept working on the ruins of the government building. All of them calling out to anyone that might still be alive amongst the rubble, ignoring the still lingering radiation. There were tears on their faces and blood staining their hands. Such a level of emotional attachment towards beings they'd never seen…

No wonder the human race was too weak and blind to realize how close to the brink of destruction they were, the observer concluded.

The sounds of nearing steps brought a wave of alarm. A pair of sharp eyes darted towards a figure that was approaching without a hint of hesitation. "I'd suggest keeping your hands to yourself. If it came to it I'm fairly sure that I'd manage to kill you faster", a female voice the skilled torturer had never heard before pointed out. "It'd be a shame if I'd have to end you, though. Because I'd have a great deal of use for you."

One eyebrow bounced up. "Sorry, love. But I may turn out to be too expensive for you."

The undeniably beautiful woman with long, blonde hair and dangerous eyes smiled. Reminding him of a predator preparing for an attack. "I could offer you something much better than money." She went on before there was a chance to interrupt. "I could make you one of the most powerful people in a brand new world. But first we'll have to create that world."

Well, that certainly piqued interest. Creating a new world would, without a doubt, mean destroying the old one. Perhaps this wouldn't be entirely boring, after all. "How exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"There's a pair of twins. They're still growing in their mother's womb but once they're born and grow up a little they'll be the most dangerous beings ever seen." Her eyes flashed. "I already felt it when I brushed their minds. Their power… It's intoxicating."

The one listening wasn't convinced quite yet. "Fascinating. But that sounds like awfully lot of waiting."

The woman chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure that I'll manage to keep you entertained. Before the twins are ready we'll have a lot of recruiting to do and even more people to… handle."

It wasn't hard to figure out the hidden meaning. A smirk revealed a row of perfect white teeth. "Now that sounds much more tempting."

"I had a feeling that you might feel that way." The woman smiled in a manner that on anyone else's face would've been sweet. "Welcome to the winning team, Daniel Reid. My name is Ashley Seaver. And I believe that we have a lot to talk about."

* * *

Spencer woke up to the realization that he couldn't really figure out where he was. Panic took over and his eyes flew open to find a mercifully shadowy dusk. His eyes darted around, taking in a plainly yet elegantly furnitured room and a massive bed. Those, and Maeve sleeping soundly right beside him, with one of his hands in a tender, determined hold. Spencer's breath caught and he blinked rapidly, his eyes growing blurry all of a sudden.

Was he… dreaming, or dead? Because surely this… This couldn't be…

It was around then the pain came rolling in, convincing him once and for all that yes, this was all very much real.

"Well hey there." Emily's voice claimed his attention. She was just entering the room, a bit of hesitation in her motions. "I was wondering if you're already awake."

Spencer frowned, his head feeling foggy and heavy. What in the world was going on? He was just crushed to death and now… "Where… are we?" he rasped out, glad that his pathetically quiet voice didn't disturb Maeve.

"In Sussex, England", Emily revealed. "I… know someone from the British government. He and his brother are both among the Others, and he owed me a favor. He promised that you can all use this mansion of his for a while."

Spencer nodded slowly, trying to grasp on the situation. Panic surged through when he once again remembered how much he had to lose. "Is…?"

Emily gave him a comforting smile. "Everyone's alright, although your parents and Gideon chose to stay in United States. Some bruises, cuts and burns, that's all. They're resting now but they're anxious to see you. We've been worried about you."

Spencer sighed, feeling a sting of guilt. "Sorry."

Emily's eyes darkened considerably. "What they did to you was hardly your fault", she pointed out. She bit her lip when the sound of her cell phone cut the silence.

Right there Spencer understood. His heart sunk. "You're leaving."

Emily nodded. Reluctance and determination were both loud and clear on her face. "I have to. There's so much left to be sorted out."

Spencer swallowed. He didn't like the taste lingering in his mouth. "Will you come back?"

Emily sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It's… not that simple. I'm a war criminal, Reid. And… I can't drag all of you into that life. But I'll be keeping an eye on you. I promise."

By then she stood by his bedside. On the spur of the moment Spencer took her hand, gave it a squeeze. She held back, their eyes meeting and holding firmly. Somehow everything each of them had wanted to say became transmitted in those few quiet moments.

And before he could fully prepare himself for it she was already walking away. One backwards glance was all she gave him before closing the door between them. Although Spencer's heart was heavy and there was moisture gathering to his cheeks he managed a tiny, shaky smile.

She gave him the chance to say goodbye, this time.

After gathering himself for a few moments he focused on Maeve, who was still fast asleep. Moving the best as his injuries allowed he shifted closer to her, buried his face into her hair and placed his free hand to her stomach. Of course it was still far too early but he could almost feel the lives growing inside her.

His family, right there beside him, safe and sound.

There was a lot that needed to be sorted out, a lot of healing that needed to be done. A lot of grieving, aching and fear lingering. But as he fall asleep, with Maeve in his arms, Spencer dared to dream of a better tomorrow.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Soooo, it's almost over. Only the epilogue left. (sighs) But now the ball's in your court. How would you feel if this turned into a trilogy? It'd mean the official introduction of the mini-geniuses. (grins)

PLEASE, do leave a note to let me know your thoughts! I'd be super happy to receive a line or two.

A busy bee is busy so I've gotta dash. I really hope that I'll see you all at the epilogue, folks!

Take care!


	10. Epilogue

A/N: My gosh…! This story is actually coming to an end. For now, anyway. (gasps)

But, first! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all your reviews and support! You sure know how to keep a insanely long story floating. (HUGS)

Awkay, before you all get bored silly… Let's go! I truly hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

_Thirty One Weeks Later_

* * *

Watching the great Thames spreading before him Dr. Spencer Reid took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing a cool breeze to caress his skin.

The past months had been very, very long and gruelling. Full of ache. Full of recovery, both physical and mental. His broken bones took long to mend. And as luck would have it the leg that was broken was the one that'd already been shot at. The level of damage was devastating and for quite long it was uncertain if he'd be able to use it properly again. But once again he defeated all statistics, surpassed expectations. His steps weren't painless or steady but he was able to take them and that was more than enough. His wings were also on the mend. It was only a matter of time before he'd be able to fly once more. He was looking forward to it like a child waits for Christmas.

His mental recovery was very slow and in many ways far more painful than the physical. Nightmares and panic attacks came whenever they wanted to, ravishing his whole being. There were days when he had to isolate himself because facing other people was simply too much. He didn't think that he'd ever feel fully safe again. The scars would mend but they'd never fade away completely.

However today wasn't the time to linger in the past because today he was facing the future.

Spencer snapped out of his thoughts at the sounds of approaching steps. Turning around slowly he smiled at the person walking towards him. "I already worried that you'd changed your mind, after all."

A hand was lifted so that sun shone on the astonishingly beautiful, white gold ring decorating it. Maeve Donovan – or no, Reid – smiled back at him. "A bit too late for that, don't you think?"

As soon as she'd gotten near enough he grabbed her greedily and pulled her close, sealing them into a long, soul searing kiss. It tasted like promise. He sighed happily, holding her eagerly. "Do you think the others will understand?" he murmured eventually.

Maeve's thumb caressed soothing circles to the back of his neck. "They will, don't worry." They'd certainly waited long enough.

They really, honestly hadn't meant to get married in such secrecy. But they'd almost lost each other so many times. Almost lost the future they'd both dreamt of for so long. They couldn't bear to wait for another second. And so, in a small and extremely beautiful chapel, they gave each other vows that they'd already made in their hearts the second they first heard each other's voices.

Spencer nuzzled his nose against Maeve's hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. It was surreal, really. To have all of this when he came so very close to having nothing at all.

The easy, blissful mood was sort of ruined when all of a sudden Maeve swore under her breath and hissed with pain. "We… We'd better get to the hospital." She glanced downwards and upon doing the same he saw some liquid spilling. A shiver crossed her. "The twins… They're about to give us one hell of a wedding gift."

Spencer's eyes widened to a comical size while all color left his face.

Maeve's eyes narrowed hazardously. "Don't you dare pass out now! Or I swear that I'll stick that wedding ring of yours where the sun doesn't shine."

* * *

Twelve hours later there was a quiet, almost shy knock on the hospital room's door. Before there was enough time to reply the door opened and a very familiar group sneaked in. Or well, first the new parents only saw a lot of balloons and stuffed animals. Then Penelope Garcia's face came to view, followed by the rest of the remaining BAU-team.

Despite the fact that she was absolutely exhausted and aching Maeve couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Oh, sweetie… Did you empty the gift shop?"

Penelope's grin put the sun itself to shame. "Are you kidding me? My babies finally had their babies. What else did you expect me to do?"

Derek laughed a bit at the analyst's enthusiasm and kissed her red dyed hair fondly. The mocha skinned man then focused on the recently expanded family. "Are the four of you okay?"

Spencer nodded, tightening his hold on Maeve. Having her right there in his arms and their kids in front of his eyes… It was a bliss. "Maeve was brilliant", he praised, the smirked a bit sheepishly. "I… was just standing there uselessly."

Maeve shook her head determinedly and grinned. "Not uselessly. You took my threats very calmly and bravely."

Spencer grinned. "You did scare the midwife, though. She seemed to think that you'd really punch her and castrate me."

Maeve shrugged, her eyes on the twins. "I haven't fully decided on the latter one yet." It was harder than it should've been to tell if she was joking.

Every man in the room covered up a wince while shifting with discomfort.

Convinced that the parents were very much alright the visitors were finally able to focus on the new arrivals. They approached with some caution, worried that they'd disturb the babies. They appeared irresistible while they lay there, nearly curled up on one another and making quiet noises in their sleep.

"Oh my gosh…!" Some moisture appeared to Penelope's eyes but she didn't seem to notice. She was hovering around the twins instantly. "They're absolutely adorable!"

Maeve grinned radiantly. There was a serene yet fiercely protective look on her face. "They are, aren't they?"

"Have you thought about names?" Derek inquired, apparently unable to tear his eyes away from the babies.

Spencer and Maeve shared a look before the new father spoke. "We have, actually. They'll each have three first names." He looked towards his children with such an expression they'd never seen before. "Blake Garcí Ross Reid." It felt right to honor Alex's memory in such a way, now that they knew for sure that she was gone. "And Jeanne Erin Morgana Reid."

"Erin?" David questioned, appearing a little surprised.

Aaron seemed to understand. The former unit chief appeared genuinely moved although he clearly tried to hide it. "It's the correct female version of Aaron", he murmured in the kind of a voice they'd only ever heard him use with Jack.

For a long moment a fond yet stunned silence filled the room while they absorbed the information. So the twins had been named after every single one of them. They were all most certainly flattered by such an honor.

In the end JJ took Spencer's hand and gave it a firm, affectionate squeeze. There was a watery smile on her face. "Thank you", she whispered. "And congratulations."

Ever since he first found out about Maeve's pregnancy Spencer had been absolutely horrified. Wondering what kind of a future there'd be ahead of their children. And, if he was honest with himself, wondering if they had a future at all. But at the moment, while he watched all the people gathered around them, he felt his worries floating away.

The world was still full of terror, chaos and threat. There was no telling what kind of lives their twins would get to lead. But there was a very large, very resourceful family to protect them. They wouldn't be alone.

Somehow, amazingly, they still had each other and that was more than enough.

* * *

Five more hours later Maeve was fast asleep, exhausted by all the hours of labor and pain medication. Spencer, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was the hormones, the protective instincts inside him roaring to life. It was his task to look after his family.

His eyes sharpened when he sensed someone approaching the room. And sure enough, only moments later the door was opened soundlessly. Spencer's eyes flashed while he took a protective stance in front of his wife and children. The dread faded away soon, though.

Because standing at the doorway was Emily Prentiss. Her hair cut chin length and dyed blonde, wearing clothes that were nothing like those she used to own. But unmistakably her nonetheless, despite the odd uncertainty on her face.

They looked at each other for a while. Then exchanged a small, melancholic smile. "I came to make sure that you're all alright", she whispered, mindful of Maeve's much needed rest.

Spencer nodded. "I was expecting that you might", he admitted. "It's your duty to keep an eye on them. You're their godmom, after all."

Emily's eyes widened with stun for a fraction of a second. Then filled with something close to longing before she managed to hide it. She swallowed hard.

Spencer exhaled a shuddering breath. "You're still family", he reminded her softly. "No matter how many times you run away." He didn't ask her where she'd been because he knew that she wouldn't be able to answer. But he needed her to know that the door would never be closed if she ever wanted to return.

Emily nodded and somehow the simple gesture was the loudest thank you she could've possibly given.

Then, clearly fearing that she'd stay too long and be seen by unwanted people, Emily began to leave. Already at the door she turned towards him once more. "Oh, and your mom told me to deliver you her congratulations." She looked at him long and hard, then drank in the view of the twins. "Take care of yourself. And them."

"You too", he whispered back, loading the words with as much meaning as he could.

And so Emily disappeared like a shadow once more. Although Spencer felt a great deal of sadness the grief wasn't crushing this time around. He knew that he'd see her again.

Emily's godkids would need her, after all.

* * *

Quite far away a pair of sharp and beautiful yet hazardous eyes flew open. A cold smile appeared to Ashley Seaver's face. "It's happened", she announced. "The twins have been born."

"Good", Daniel Reid all but purred. He hummed while washing off the blood staining his hands. "It means that we're closer to our goal."

Ashley nodded. "Yes", she stated out loud before focusing fully on her companion. "But for now, let's go. We have… a meeting to attend to."

Daniel smirked like a wild beast that'd just made an impressive kill.

* * *

**_End, for now._**

* * *

A/N: And thus comes to an end part two. And the twins are FINALLY here! How cool is that? (grins)

Part 3, which will definitely be the final part of this story, should start in a couple of weeks, soooo… If you want to see how this saga continues / is finished stay tuned.

And, as always… Please, do leave a note to let me know if this temporary conclusion was any good at all! Awww, by now you should know how much I love hearing from you.

Thank you so, so much for sticking around through this looooooooooong journey! It means the world to me that this story has gained so many friends. (HUGS, fiercely)

Until next time, you all! Take care!


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